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"Cup of tea? I was just thinking of making one. [...] I've only got teabags, I'm afraid — but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?"
— Remus Lupin offers Harry Potter some tea when the latter paid a visit to his office[src]

Tea is a popular beverage typically made with tea leaves and hot water.[14]

Known uses[]

At some point in the late 1920s or early 1930s, Albus Dumbledore ordered a cup of tea while waiting for Gellert Grindelwald. Later in the meeting at a Muggle restaurant remarked to Albus Dumbledore in a London restaurant that despite his distaste for Muggles, one could not deny that they knew how to brew a good cup of tea.[15]

On 1 November 1981, Petunia Dursley served two cups of tea for her and Vernon Dursley at 4 Privet Drive.[16]

During the 1990–1991 school year, Dolores Umbridge offered Jacob's sibling a bitter-tasting tea in her office in the Ministry of Magic, shortly before the Trial of Kazuhiro Shiratori that was laced with Veritaserum, a powerful Truth Serum. It's unknown if they drank her spiked tea, but their brother Jacob did.[17] Later during this school year, Jacob's sibling and Olivia Green were served tea by Elton Elderberry in the Ministry All-Purpose Room. He offered Olivia many varieties to take back with her such as peppermint-licorice root, blackberry-lemongrass, smoked mango oolong and chai.[9]

After the incident of the vanishing glass at the zoo in Surrey on 23 June 1991, the Zoo director served Petunia Dursley strong, sweet tea while apologising over and over again.[10] A bit later that same year, Rubeus Hagrid's first request upon arriving at the Hut-on-the-Rock was to ask if tea could be made for him, though he commented that he wouldn't say no to something stronger. When no tea was served to him, he made it himself and shared it with Harry Potter.[2]

When Hagrid informed the trio that Buckbeak was going to be prosecuted, Ron offered to make tea, stating that such was what his mum always did when anyone was upset.[3]

Seamus Finnigan, during his first year, made several attempts to transform water into rum, but instead managed only a weak tea before his wand exploded.[18]

Tea leaves 1

Harry seeing the Grim in his tea leaves during his Divination lesson

In Harry's third year, Sybill Trelawney served her Divination class tea, and had them read the remaining tea leaves after they drank. Trelawney told Harry she saw he had the Grim in Harry's tea leaves.[6]

Remus Lupin was fond of making it from a kettle, and offered Harry Potter a cup whilst discussing the first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of that year, in which Lupin prevented Harry from facing the Boggart in the Wardrobe. He noted that he had only teabags at the moment, but quipped that Harry had probably "had enough of tea leaves", referencing Professor Trelawney's tea-leaf reading, which he had heard about.[1]

According to the Riddles' cook, she had offered Frank Bryce a cup of tea in Little Hangleton, but due to the man's unfriendly and solitary attitude, he refused.[19]

In 1994, after showing fourth year students in Defence Against the Dark Arts the Unforgivable Curses, Bartemius Crouch Junior (disguised as Alastor Moody) pretended to comfort a distressed Neville Longbottom by having him come into his office for a cup of tea. Neville was shaken after Barty demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse in front of Neville,[7] the curse in which he himself had used to torture Neville's parents into insanity.[20]

In the summer of 1995, Vernon and Petunia Dursley had the false knowledge that their son, Dudley Dursley, was out for tea at his friends' houses. Instead, he was with his gang vandalising parks, smoking on street corners, and throwing stones at passing cars and children.[21]

In Harry's fifth year, Dolores Umbridge brought him into her office following Albus Dumbledore's escape. She rather forcibly offered Harry a choice of drinks, and after he chose tea, she slipped an entire bottle of (later revealed false, courtesy of Severus Snape) Veritaserum into the tea to try and get Harry to give up information she deemed important. However, Harry, feeling that she was up to something, did not drink any of the tea, and instead, dumped the contents into a vase of dried flowers when she wasn't looking.[4]

When Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger visited Rubeus Hagrid in the 1996–1997 school year for the first time that year at his hut, he served them rock cakes and three bucket-sized mugs of mahogany brown tea.[22]

When Betty Braithwaite visited the home of Rita Skeeter to interview her about The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, Rita served her tea and a slice of pound cake.[5]

On the morning of 27 July 1997, the day that Harry Potter left 4 Privet Drive for good, he accidentally trod on a cup of cold tea left outside his bedroom door. At the time, he suspected it to be a trap laid by his cousin Dudley Dursley,[5] but later came to realise it was left there out of kindness as Dudley had come to have a change of opinion about him.[23]

During the Calamity in the 21st century, the Magizoologist Naasz developed her own tea that was said to taste revolting. She was told instead to sell it as a solvent, much to the relief of tea shop owners.[24]

Behind the scenes[]

Tea 600x300

The tea leaves on Pottermore in their original form

Tea

The tea leaves on Pottermore in their second form

@gazing_venus: "What's your favourite brand of tea?"
@jk_rowling: "Lancashire tea. I'm drinking it right now."
@Mattdavelewis: "Dreadful. I'll send you a box of Yorkshire Gold. My treat."
— J. K. Rowling, Matthew Lewis, and a fan discuss tea on Twitter[25]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 8 (Flight of the Fat Lady)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 4 (The Keeper of the Keys)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 11 (The Firebolt)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 28 (Snape's Worst Memory)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 2 (In Memoriam)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 6 (Talons and Tea Leaves)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 14 (The Unforgivable Curses)
  8. 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 25 (The Beetle at Bay)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 48 (Archival Evidence)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 2 (The Vanishing Glass)
  11. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  12. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  13. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 3 (The Knight Bus)
  14. WP favicon Tea on Wikipedia
  15. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
  16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 1 (The Boy Who Lived)
  17. 17.0 17.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 32 (The Wizengamot Trial)
  18. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) - Chapter 14 (Potions and Parcels)
  19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 1 (The Riddle House)
  20. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 30 (The Pensieve)
  21. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 1 (Dudley Demented)
  22. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 11 (Hermione's Helping Hand)
  23. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 3 (The Dursleys Departing)
  24. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
  25. jk_rowling on Twitter
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