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"Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day’s shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woollen balaclava."
— Description of the Leaky Cauldron pub[src]

The Leaky Cauldron was a popular wizarding pub and inn located in London. It was the entrance to Diagon Alley and, indirectly, Knockturn Alley. The rear of the pub opened up onto a chilly courtyard that contains the entrance to both alley ways.[2]

The pub was built by Daisy Dodderidge, the first landlady, in the early 1500s "to serve as a gateway between the non-wizarding world and Diagon Alley."[3] It had a bar, several private parlour rooms, and a large dining room.

To Muggles, the pub appears to be a broken-down old shop front on Charing Cross Road. This, however, was not the case prior to the imposition of the Statute of Secrecy and, prior to this, Muggle visitors were neither turned away nor made to feel unwelcome.[1]

History[]

Early history (1500s–1692)[]

"Some people argue that the oldest pub in London is the White Hart on Drury Lane; others that it is the Angel on Bermondsey Wall, or the Lamb and Flag on Rose Street. All of these people are Muggles, and all of them are wrong. The oldest pub in London, as any wizard will tell you, is the Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road."
— The pub is the oldest in London[src]

The Leaky Cauldron was built in the 1500s by Daisy Dodderidge.[3] The pub was there long before Charing Cross Road was even planned. Its true address is number one Diagon Alley, and it is believed to have been built along with the rest of the wizarding street. Created some two centuries before the wizarding world community made the joint decision to go into hiding, the Leaky Cauldron used to be visible to Muggle eyes.[1]

While the pub was, from the first, a place for witches and wizards to congregate — whether Londoners or out-of-towners up for the day to shop for the latest magical ingredients or devicesn— Muggles were not turned away or made to feel unwelcome, even though some of the conversations, not to mention pets, caused many an unwary Muggle to leave without finishing his or her mead.[1]

With the imposition of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692, Minister Ulick Gamp permitted the pub to continue its existence as a safe haven and refuge for members of the magical community.[1] Though insistent on numerous concealment spells and good behaviour from all who used the pub, Gamp was sympathetic to the need of wizards to let off steam during this difficult time, and further agreed to give the landlord permission to let people into Diagon Alley from his backyard, because the shops behind the Leaky Cauldron were now also in need of protection.[1] Out of gratitude, the landlord created a new brand of beer, Gamp's Old Gregarious, which tasted so disgusting that even with a one-hundred-Galleon incentive, nobody could finish a pint.[1]

In 1887,[6] the pub was faced with the possibility of being demolished when the Muggles set in motion the construction of Charing Cross Road. The Minister at that time, Faris Spavin, had become certain that this was the end of the pub, and given a melancholy, seven-hour speech in the Wizengamot about why the establishment could not be saved, only to receive a note from his secretary the moment he sat down, informing him that the magical community had rallied and, through the mass use of Memory Charms, had altered the entire route of the new road to accommodate the Leaky Cauldron, leaving the architects confused as to why there was a blank space on the design, and why said space did not appear to the naked eye.[1]

Recent history (1900–2020s)[]

"This is it — the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."
Rubeus Hagrid introducing the Leaky Cauldron[src]

The Leaky Cauldron had changed little over the years; it was small, dingy and welcoming, with a few bedrooms above the public bar for travellers who live a long way from London. It was the ideal spot to catch up with wizarding gossip if one happened to live a long way from the nearest magical neighbour.[1]

Harry-potter1-disneyscreencaps

Harry Potter's first encounter with Quirrell in the Leaky Cauldron

In the summer of 1899, Albus Dumbledore and Elphias Doge stayed at the Leaky Cauldron, in preparation to depart for Greece, when Albus received word of his mother's death.[7]

During the 1990–1991 school year, Zenith Xeep held a Meet-and-Greet for her beauty-and-lifestyle business, Xeep, at the Leaky Cauldron, and promoted her hair care potion, Xeep's Luscious Locks Solution. Rita Skeeter, Bilton Bilmes, Jacob's sibling and Garrick Ollivander attended.[8] Around the same time, a wizard went to the Leaky Cauldron to chat with Tom when the wizard saw the Muggle Artefact Smuggler.[9]

Later during that school year, Jacob and their sibling had an awkward dinner in the Leaky Cauldron with their long lost father Peregrine.[10] They later met with their father in the inn to discuss their findings about Dai Ryusaki.[11]

On July 31 1991, Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid passed through the pub on their way to Diagon Alley. Tom, the innkeeper, greeted Hagrid there like an old friend. This made it seem that Hagrid was something of a regular. Some other witches and wizards who were there at the time were Doris Crockford, Dedalus Diggle, and Quirinus Quirrell and they took a great interest in Harry, queuing to shake his hand.[2]

In the summer of 1992, Harry Potter and the Weasley family travelled to Diagon Alley by Floo Powder. Harry mispronounced "Diagonally", and therefore travelled to Knockturn Alley instead. After doing their shopping, Harry and the Weasleys departed through the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace to The Burrow.[12]

Harry-potter4-movie-screencaps

Molly greeting Harry Potter in the Leaky Cauldron

In the summer of 1993, as well as stopping there for drinks, Harry Potter stayed at the inn for a time, having accidentally blown up his Aunt Marge. He also met Cornelius Fudge in a private room for the first time.[13][14]

While the Leaky Cauldron was a favourite hangout for the magical community, its patronage took a turn for the worse in the summer of 1996, during the beginning of the Second Wizarding War. With Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters moving in the open, many witches and wizards avoided public places as much as possible, including the Leaky Cauldron. When Harry Potter, Rubeus Hagrid, and the Weasley family passed through the Leaky Cauldron that summer on his way to Diagon Alley, they noticed that the bar was empty with the exception of Tom.[15]

On 1 May 1998, at the height of the war, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, with the assistance of Griphook the goblin, staged a break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. While passing through the Leaky Cauldron on the way to the bank, they noted that it was nearly empty. Tom bowed in fear at the sight of Hermione, who was disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange at the time.[16]

At some point after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Tom either retired or passed away. Hannah Abbott then became the new landlady.[4]

The Leaky Cauldron began to sell Stewed Mandrake Quiche during the Calamity in the late 2010s or early 2020s. The dish was described as "disruptive" and nausea-inducing, with a Calamity Investigator working for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force believing that the food had resulted in a recent uptick of Traces in the area. In response, the investigator convinced management to modify their menu. The same Calamity Investigator later ran into Harry Potter at the Leaky Cauldron and engaged in a lively discussion about potions with him. Harry taught the investigator Severus Snape's method of preparing Sopophorous beans by pressing them with the flat side of a knife to release more of their juice, which they used to reduce the brew time of their Dawdle Draught.[17]

Minister for Magic Hermione Granger later gave an impromptu talk about the Calamity at the Leaky Cauldron, which was attended by the same Calamity Investigator. From this talk, the investigator learned about the ineffability of the Calamity, from which they figured out a new way to improve their Trace Charm. The same Calamity Investigator also met George Weasley in the Leaky Cauldron, who discussed his affinity for pyrotechnics with them, resulting in their power increasing when having cast a critical blow.[17]

Structure[]

"For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked like a gummy walnut"
— The Leaky Cauldron in 1991[src]
Interior of the Leaky Cauldron

The interior of the ground floor of the Leaky Cauldron

Located at 1 Diagon Alley,[1] The Leaky Cauldron was nested between a Muggle bookshop and a record store. Inside the pub, it was dark and shabby, with a bar and a number of tables in the shadows of the corners. In stark contrast to the grubby downstairs of the pub, there were some unexpectedly pleasant rooms upstairs where passing wizards and witches could stay for the night. These rooms were reached by way of a handsome wooden staircase, and contained comfortable beds, highly polished oak furniture, a crackling fire which was always burning in the grate to welcome the visitor to their lodgings, and, in Harry's case, a talking mirror.[2]

A cellar was located beneath the ground floor,[18][19] that held barrels containing the beverage supply for the establishment as well as a chest for holding reserve Floo Powder.[20]

Known rooms[]

Bedroom-leaky cauldron1

Bedroom in the Leaky Cauldron

A Private parlour was located behind the bar at the ground-floor. It had a desk, a window and a little table and two somewhat uncomfortable chairs. In 1993 Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge borrowed the room so he could talk to Harry Potter about his safety and that he didn't have to worry about Sirius Black (who was thought to be a mass-murderer). He also told Harry that two men from the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were sent out to puncture Marjorie Dursley and modify her memory after Harry lost control in the Dursley family's home, and that running away was irresponsible.[13]

Room 10 was a room at the first-floor. In 1993, a young maid was about to clean the room when its owner roared at her and closed the door.[21]

Room 11 was a room at the first-floor which had a bed in the middle, a fireplace, a talking mirror, and a window. In 1993 Harry Potter and his owl Hedwig stayed in the room after Harry ran away from Privet Drive and was picked up by the Knight Bus.[13]

Menu[]

"This establishment of Diagon Alley the Leaky Cauldron is noted for its most excellent and delicious luncheon"
— A sign in the Leaky Cauldron[src]

Dishes[]

Dishes served at the Leaky Cauldron included:

Dish Price Notes
House, House Soup 5 Sickles Part of the Luncheon menu[22]
House Leaky Soup 4 Sickles
House Soup Leaky 3 Sickles
Leaky House Soup
Leaky, Leaky Soup 5 Sickles
Leaky Soup House 4 Sickles
Soup House Leaky 3 Sickles
Soup Leaky House 4 Sickles
Soup Leaky, Leaky unknown
Soup, Soup Soup 5 Sickles
Pea soup Unknown It has been known to eat people, according to Dre Head.[21]
Pickled eel 1 Galleon A jar of pickled eels hit the Leaky Cauldron bartender in the face when a Mountain Troll rampaged through the pub.[23]
Roast hog The house speciality[24]
Steak and kidney pie
Game pie 2 Galleons
Raw liver[14] Ordered by a likely hag.[14]

Beverages[]

Beverages served included:

Behind the scenes[]

  • Charing Cross Road (where the Leaky Cauldron is located) is actually several centuries younger than the Leaky Cauldron itself. Charing Cross Road was created in mid 18th century by rebuilding and merging two elder streets. This also means that Leaky Cauldron cannot be located in the middle part of the road (between the intersections with Carnbour Street and Shaftesbury Avenue) because this is the part that was most transformed and reshaped by the creation of Charing Cross Road. The Leaky Cauldron can be located in its southern third (formerly known as Castle Street) or in its northern third (formerly known as Crown Street or Hog Lane). The exact location is unknown, there is only a brief mention in the first book that it is located between a bookshop and a record store that were in Charing Cross Road in the early 1990s.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as Hagrid and Harry approach the front door, the sign for the Leaky Cauldron clears from a blank, black cut-out to a stylised design with a cauldron in the background. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a different doorway, with a different sign is shown. It is never shown whether this is supposed to be an alternate doorway or a "new" main entrance. Also, Tom the landlord was recast for the third film. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the Leaky Cauldron is shown to be located between 48 Charing Cross Road (Quinto Bookshop) and 12 Great Newport Street (Ashley Associates Chartered Surveyors), London. In real life, there is no building in between 48 Charing Cross Road and 12 Great Newport Street, which can be seen in the following image, but possibly because in the real world it is "concealed". It is possible that as they were all three different door-ways, that the Leaky Cauldron had a door-way for every single part of London.
  • Chapter Four of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is titled "The Leaky Cauldron".
  • In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, the Leaky Cauldron has a basement, notice board, cinema room, and a back door.
  • In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4/LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, The Leaky Cauldron is a shop in Diagon Alley, not the entrance.

Appearances[]

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Notes and references[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Leaky Cauldron" at Wizarding World
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chocolate Frog Cards (see this image)
  4. 4.0 4.1 JK Rowling comments at Carnegie Hall
  5. 5.0 5.1 DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY REUNITES AT QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP FINAL (Archived)
  6. WP favicon Charing Cross Road on Wikipedia
  7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 18 (The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore)
  8. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 12 (And Hello Magical Accidents and Catastrophes)
  9. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 12 (And Hello Magical Accidents and Catastrophes) - Assignment "Muggle Artefact Smuggler"
  10. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 41 (That's Awkward)
  11. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 49 (Revelations)
  12. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 4 (At Flourish and Blotts)
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 3 (The Knight Bus)
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 4 (The Leaky Cauldron)
  15. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 6 (Draco's Detour)
  16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 26 (Gringotts)
  17. 17.0 17.1 Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
  18. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
  19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
  20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (GBA version)
  21. 21.0 21.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
  22. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (see this image)
  23. Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World, Case 2: The Smell of Fear
  24. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
  25. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Console versions) - "There's more than Butterbeer down in the cellar, y'know, Mr Potter."
  26. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (see this image)
  27. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley) - “a few old women[…] sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry,”
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 Harry Potter Limited Edition
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Leaky Cauldron
Founder Daisy Dodderidge Leakycauldronsym
Owners Tom (formerly) · Hannah Abbott Residents Neville Longbottom
Employees
Maids Day maid · Night maid · Young maid Others Bartender · Cleaner · Cook · Male toilet fixer
1 Diagon Alley, England, Great Britain
Diagon Alley North Side
Locations

Apothecary · Bats! Bats! Bats! · Belcher's Bottled Beers · Bernie Balls Fireworks · Blinkhorn's workshop · Boogermongers · Brigg's Brooms · Bufo's · Caput Mortuum · Creepy Scrawlers Stationers · Crispa Culpepper's Drugs & Preparations · Eeylops Owl Emporium · Flail & Hyde Furriers · Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour · Flourish and Blotts · Gaberlunzie Garments · Grandma Gramercy's Grandiloquent Gramophones · Gringotts Wizarding Bank · The Harpy's Bazaar · Herbert's Sherbets · Janus Galloglass · Krakens · Leaky Cauldron (1 Diagon Alley) · Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions · The Magic Lantern · Magical Menagerie · Mandrake Mufflers · Marcus Minucius Myomancer · Mourning & Starr Armourers · Mr Milvus Grizedale, Kitemaker · Mr Trismus, Mouth Magician · Mulligrubs Materia Medica · Nell's Bells · Nollikins for Scrolls & Skins · Noltie's Botanical Novelties · Oldknowe Books · Pettichaps · Potage's Cauldron Shop · Praedico Predico · Quality Quidditch Supplies · Shrew & Scold's Bridal Wear · S. Starling · Tangle & Noils Wigmakers & Perruquiers · The Three Sheets · Tut's Nuts · Twinkle's Telescopes · Vietch's Leeches · What Larks! Songbird Specialists · Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment

Known residents, shop owners and employees

Blinkhorn · Belcher · Bufo · Crookshanks (formerly) · Eeylops Owl Emporium female employee · Eeylops Owl Emporium male employee · Florean Fortescue (deceased) · Flourish and Blotts manager · Hedwig (formerly; deceased) · Madam Malkin · Noltie · Madam Potage · Magical Menagerie salesman · Magical Menagerie saleswoman · Milvus Grizedale · Marcus Minucius · Trismus · Tut · Twinkle · Vietch · Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment employee

England
Locations in London
Diagon Alley (18a · 59 · 92 · 93 · 94 · 129b · 275) · Knockturn Alley (13B) · London · Alley · Big Ben · Elephant and Castle · Finsbury Park · Green Lanes · Islington · Grimmauld Place (11 · 12 · 13) · King's Cross Station · Largest hospital · Millennium Bridge · Museum of Quidditch · Paddington Station (Hamburger restaurant) · Post Office tower · Private Hospital · Pudding Lane (Bakery) · Shaftesbury Avenue · Tottenham Court Road · Luchino Caffe · Vauxhall Road · Winstanley's Bookstore & Stationers · Wool's Orphanage · Westminster · 10 Downing Street · Charing Cross Road · Angus Steak House · Leicester Square Station · Leaky Cauldron · Sytner
West Country
West Country · Bristol · Cornwall · Bodmin Moor · Falmouth · Tinworth · Shell Cottage · Devon · Chudley · Exmoor · Ilfracombe · Ottery St Catchpole (The Burrow · Lovegood House · Stoatshead Hill) · Topsham · Dorset · Millburn · Lanes End (17) · Wimbourne · Cotswolds · Forest of Dean (Forest of Dean ruins · Misty Dell) · Woodcroft · Painswick · Stinchcombe · Godric's Hollow (Bathilda Bagshot's · Church Lane · Graveyard · St Jerome's Church · Potter cottage) · Somerset · Bath · Modesty Rabnott Snidget Reservation
Yorkshire
Yorkshire · Barnsley · Doncaster · Great Hangleton · Ilkley · Ilkley Moor · Little Hangleton (Gaunt Shack · Graveyard · Riddle House · Frank Bryce's cottage · The Hanged Man) · Malham Cove · Upper Flagley · Mould-on-the-Wold
Other locations
Appleby · Avalon · Barnton · Dunstable · Eton · Maidenhead · Birmingham · Brockdale Bridge · Brookshire · Crowford · North Street (32a) · Budleigh Babberton · Chipping Clodbury · Clapham · Laburnum Gardens · 2 Laburnum Gardens · Cokeworth (Spinner's End · Railview Hotel) · Hampshire · Little Dropping · New Forest · Portsmouth · Herefordshire · Hertfordshire · Cuffley · The Cave · Hut-on-the-Rock · The Sea · Ilkley · Isle of Wight · Kent · Dover · Lancashire · Blackpool · Blackpool pier · Liverpool · River Mersey · Manchester · Didsbury · Norfolk · Cromer · Norfolk · Kettering · Nottinghamshire · Nottingham · Oxfordshire · Cotswolds · Nettlebed · Surrey (Bakery in Surrey) · Chertsey (Grunnings) · Little Whinging (Fair · Magnolia Crescent (2 · Road) · Privet Drive (4 · 7) · Wisteria Walk (6)) · Wolverhampton · Staines · Zoo · Tutshill · Upper Barnton · Wiltshire (Malfoy Manor) · Worcestershire · Herbe Garden · River Wye · Bedfordshire (Potton (Potton wood))
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
WWoHP-Logo
Attractions:

Dragon ChallengeFlight of the HippogriffHarry Potter and the Escape From GringottsHarry Potter and the Forbidden JourneyHagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike AdventureHogsmeade StationOllivander's Wand Shop

Shops:

Borgin and BurkesDervish and BangesFilch's Emporium of Confiscated GoodsHoneydukesMadam Malkin's Robes for All OccasionsMagical MenagerieOllivander'sOwl PostQuality Quidditch SuppliesWands by GregorovitchWeasleys' Wizard WheezesWiseacre's Wizarding EquipmentZonko's Joke Shop

Restaurants:

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream ParlourLeaky CauldronThe Fountain of Fair FortuneThree Broomsticks Inn

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