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"...some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump."
— First mention of the vanishing step[src]

These were staircases in Hogwarts Castle that vanished a step halfway up, meaning students crossing them had to jump a step.[1][2][3]

History[]

Neville Longbottom regularly forgot to jump the step in one of these staircases.[2][3]

In 1995, Harry Potter made the same mistake due to him becoming distracted after observing Bartemius Crouch Jnr (whom he believed to be Bartemius Crouch Snr) on the Marauder's Map. He became trapped in the staircase and lost hold of his golden egg clue, which attracted the attention of Argus Filch.[3]

The commotion also drew the attention of Severus Snape, who came to investigate but was headed off by Alastor Moody, who was the only one that could see Harry in his Cloak of Invisibility with his magical eye. Though Harry did not know it at the time, the man who rescued him was actually the man he had earlier observed on the map.[3]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 8 (The Potions Master)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 12 (The Triwizard Tournament)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 25 (The Egg and the Eye)
Unknown location within Hogwarts Castle
Classrooms
Class 102 · Class 104 · Class 107 · Class 99 · Classroom E-13 · Fairly small classroom · First year written exams classroom · Study Hall
Clubhouses
Dragon Clubhouse · Hippogriff Clubhouse · Secret Clubhouse · Sphinx Clubhouse
Corridors
Ædificium Oriens · Catwalks by the Quad battlements · Grey Lady Corridor · South Wing · West Tower corridor · West Wing
Halls and rooms
Astronomy Room · Ball Great Hall · Book of Monster's Repair Workshop · Devil's Snare room · Duelling Hall · First Hogwarts graduating class portrait room · The Grindylow Lagoon · Jacob's room · Laundry · Lower Art Room · Peeves' Room · Quiet room · The Artist's Chamber · Upper Castle Portrait Room
Offices
Albus Dumbledore's office (Turret) · Helena Ravenclaw's personal archive · Horace Slughorn's first office · Rolanda Hooch's office
Portraits, statues and other artwork
Alastor Moody · Emeric Switch · Godfrey the Gormless · Iris Pius · Phillipus von Hohenheim · Reginald Oddpick · Sanctum statue · Sidley Smirk Platter · Thomas More · Tobias Misslethorpe · Mysterious girl · Triptych · Wilfred the Wistful
Staircases
Staircase to the West Tower battlements · Staircases that led somewhere else on Friday · Staircases with vanishing steps · Swivelling staircase
Storerooms
Cauldron cupboard · Cupboard · Gryffindor Quidditch team store cupboard · Records Room · Stink Bomb Store
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