======Graveyards======
=====Introduction=====
Graveyards in the [[wizarding world]] serve as the final resting places for the deceased, much like their [[Muggles|Muggle]] counterparts. While many such locations exist, two specific graveyards are of paramount importance to the story of [[Harry Potter]] and the [[Second Wizarding War]]. The graveyard in [[Little Hangleton]] is the site of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s terrifying rebirth, a pivotal event that marks the official return of the [[Dark Lord]]. The graveyard in [[Godric's Hollow]] is a place of profound historical and emotional significance, holding the graves of [[Harry Potter]]'s parents, members of the [[Dumbledore family]], and one of the three legendary [[Peverell]] brothers.
=====The Graveyard at Little Hangleton=====
====Location Information====
  * **Type:** Church Graveyard
  * **Location:** [[Little Hangleton]], England
  * **Owner/Residents:** The deceased [[Riddle family]] are the most notable residents.
  * **Key Features:** Situated on a hillside near an old church, overlooking the village and the derelict [[Riddle House]]. It features a large yew tree and a prominent marble tombstone for the Riddle family.
====Description and History====
The [[Little Hangleton]] graveyard is depicted as poorly kept and overgrown. It is located up a steep lane from the village, next to a small, ancient church. When [[Harry Potter]] is transported there, he observes it as a dark and creepy place, with many of its headstones weathered and illegible. The most prominent feature is the marble headstone belonging to [[Lord Voldemort]]'s paternal family, which reads: TOM RIDDLE, THOMAS RIDDLE, and MARY RIDDLE. A grim, life-sized statue of an angel stands nearby, its face blank and partially obscured by ivy.
This graveyard is the resting place of [[Voldemort]]'s [[Muggles|Muggle]] father and grandparents, whom he murdered as a teenager after discovering his paternal heritage. For this reason, he chose it as the location for the ritual that would restore him to a full body.
====Role in the Story====
The graveyard serves as the climactic setting for //[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]//.
  * [[Harry Potter]] and [[Cedric Diggory]] are transported here when they touch the [[Triwizard Cup]], which has been turned into a [[Portkey]] by [[Barty Crouch Jr.]] while disguised as [[Alastor Moody]].
  * Upon their arrival, [[Peter Pettigrew]] murders [[Cedric Diggory]] on [[Voldemort]]'s orders using the [[Avada Kedavra]] curse.
  * [[Pettigrew]] then performs a powerful act of [[Dark Magic]] to resurrect [[Voldemort]]. He uses a giant [[cauldron]] and three key ingredients: **bone of the father**, taken from [[Tom Riddle Sr.]]'s grave; **flesh of the servant**, which [[Pettigrew]] willingly sacrifices by cutting off his own hand; and **blood of the enemy**, which he forcibly takes from [[Harry Potter]].
  * Following his rebirth, [[Voldemort]] summons his [[Death Eaters]] by touching [[Pettigrew]]'s [[Dark Mark]].
  * [[Voldemort]] duels [[Harry Potter]] amongst the tombstones. Their wands, sharing a core from the same phoenix, connect in a rare magical effect known as //[[Priori Incantatem]]//. This forces [[Voldemort]]'s [[wand]] to disgorge echoes of its most recent victims, including [[Cedric Diggory]], [[Frank Bryce]], [[Bertha Jorkins]], and finally [[James Potter|James]] and [[Lily Potter]]. These echoes protect Harry, allowing him to escape back to [[Hogwarts]] with Cedric's body.
=====The Graveyard at Godric's Hollow=====
====Location Information====
  * **Type:** Church Graveyard
  * **Location:** [[Godric's Hollow]], West Country, England
  * **Owner/Residents:** Contains the graves of many famous wizarding families, including the Potters, the Dumbledores, and the Peverells.
  * **Key Features:** Located behind the village's small church. Rows of graves are covered in snow during Harry's visit.
====Description and History====
The graveyard in [[Godric's Hollow]] is ancient and home to the graves of many notable [[wizards]] and [[witches]]. When [[Harry Potter]] and [[Hermione Granger]] visit on Christmas Eve in //[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]//, it is peaceful and blanketed in deep snow. Unlike the threatening atmosphere of the [[Little Hangleton]] graveyard, this one evokes a sense of solemn history and personal loss for Harry. The graves are a mix of weathered, ancient tombstones and more modern, polished ones. Many bear names that are recognizable in wizarding history.
====Role in the Story====
This graveyard is a site of major discovery and emotional resonance in the quest for the [[Horcruxes]].
  * Harry and Hermione visit the graveyard hoping to speak with [[Bathilda Bagshot]] and seeking clues about the [[Sword of Gryffindor]] and the [[Deathly Hallows]].
  * They discover the graves of [[Kendra Dumbledore]] and her daughter, [[Ariana Dumbledore]]. The epitaph on their headstone, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," deepens the mystery surrounding [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s tragic family past.
  * They find the white marble headstone of [[James Potter|James]] and [[Lily Potter]], inscribed with the words, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Seeing his parents' grave for the first time is a deeply moving moment for Harry.
  * Most significantly, Hermione spots a weathered, ancient grave marked with a symbol they recognize from Xenophilius Lovegood's letter: the triangular eye of the [[Deathly Hallows]]. The name on the grave is [[Ignotus Peverell]], confirming that the third Peverell brother—the original owner of the [[Cloak of Invisibility]]—was buried in [[Godric's Hollow]] and is an ancestor of Harry's.
  * Their visit ends in a trap, as the historian [[Bathilda Bagshot]] is already dead and her corpse is being animated by [[Voldemort]]'s snake, [[Nagini]], leading to a violent confrontation where Harry's [[wand]] is broken.
=====Notable Graves=====
  - **In [[Little Hangleton]]:**
    * Tom Riddle Sr. (1905 - 1943)
    * Thomas Riddle (1880 - 1943)
    * Mary Riddle (1883 - 1943)
  - **In [[Godric's Hollow]]:**
    * [[James Potter]] (27 March 1960 - 31 October 1981)
    * [[Lily Potter]] (30 January 1960 - 31 October 1981)
    * [[Kendra Dumbledore]] († 1899)
    * [[Ariana Dumbledore]] († 1899)
    * [[Ignotus Peverell]]
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, the Riddle family grave is marked by a large, menacing statue of a skeletal, hooded figure holding a scythe, a more elaborate design than the "angel" described in the book (film).
  * The epitaph on James and Lily Potter's grave, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death," is a direct quotation from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:26. [[J.K. Rowling]] has stated that she chose this and the quote on the Dumbledores' grave to represent the central themes of faith in the books (J.K. Rowling interview).