Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Wizarding Courtrooms====== =====Location Information===== * **Type:** Judicial Chamber * **Location:** [[Level Ten]], [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]], [[Ministry of Magic]], [[London]], [[England]] * **Owner/Residents:** [[Ministry of Magic]]; presided over by the [[Wizengamot]] * **Key Features:** Dungeon-like atmosphere, dark stone walls, torch lighting, tiered benches for the court, and a central chair for the accused equipped with magical self-binding chains. =====Description and History===== Wizarding courtrooms are chambers located on [[Level Ten]] of the [[Ministry of Magic]], used for formal legal proceedings and criminal trials conducted by the [[Wizengamot]]. The most described example is **Courtroom Ten**, which has a grim and intimidating appearance. The walls are made of dark stone, and the room is lit only by torches, creating an environment reminiscent of a dungeon. The layout is that of an amphitheater. High, tiered benches rise in rows on all sides, where the fifty or so members of the [[Wizengamot]] sit during a trial, looking down upon the accused. In the center of the room is a single, isolated chair. When the accused sits in this chair, magical chains emerge from the armrests with a "faint, metallic whisper," binding them securely for the duration of the hearing. There is no other furniture in the room, and no visible windows, contributing to a feeling of coldness and isolation. These courtrooms have a long history of holding significant trials. After the First Wizarding War, many captured [[Death Eaters]] were tried here. Through [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s [[Pensieve]], [[Harry Potter]] witnessed the trials of [[Igor Karkaroff]], who secured a lighter sentence by providing names of other Death Eaters, and the group consisting of [[Barty Crouch Jr.]], [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange]], and [[Rabastan Lestrange]], who were sentenced to [[Azkaban]] for torturing [[Frank Longbottom]] and [[Alice Longbottom]] into insanity. During the Second Wizarding War, the function of the courtrooms was corrupted. After [[Lord Voldemort]]'s takeover of the [[Ministry of Magic]], these chambers were used by the [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]], led by [[Dolores Umbridge]]. In these sham trials, innocent [[Muggle-born]] witches and wizards were falsely accused of stealing magic and sentenced to [[Azkaban]], while [[Dementors]] hovered in the chamber to feed on their despair. =====Role in the Story===== * In //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, [[Harry Potter]] first encounters a courtroom through [[Dumbledore]]'s [[Pensieve]] memories. These memories provide crucial exposition on the aftermath of the First Wizarding War, revealing the fates of key [[Death Eaters]] like [[Barty Crouch Jr.]] and establishing the ruthless character of figures like [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]. It also highlights the Ministry's past dealings, such as making bargains with captured Death Eaters like [[Igor Karkaroff]]. * In //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, Courtroom Ten is the setting for Harry's disciplinary hearing for casting a [[Patronus Charm]] in the presence of a [[Muggle]]. The event showcases the [[Ministry of Magic]]'s corruption under [[Cornelius Fudge]], who attempts to use the trial to discredit Harry and [[Dumbledore]]. The trial is a pivotal moment, forcing [[Dumbledore]] to appear publicly in Harry's defense and revealing [[Arabella Figg]]'s role as a [[Squib]] watching over Harry. Harry's acquittal is a significant, albeit temporary, victory against the Ministry's smear campaign. * In //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//, Harry, [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] infiltrate a courtroom trial being conducted by the [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]]. The scene demonstrates the complete perversion of justice under [[Voldemort]]'s rule. The trio intervenes to free the [[Muggle-born]] victims and stun [[Dolores Umbridge]] and [[Yaxley]], retrieving [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]] from Umbridge in the process. =====Behind the Scenes===== * The courtrooms seen in the film adaptations differ visually from the book's description. In the film version of //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, the trial chamber is a vast, spherical cage that is mechanically lowered into a huge chasm for the proceedings (film). * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, Courtroom Ten is depicted as a massive, circular chamber with green and black tiles, far larger and more open than the dungeon-like room described in the novel (film). * According to Pottermore, the [[Wizengamot]] predates the [[Ministry of Magic]] itself, having evolved from the earlier Wizards' Council. This implies that some form of judicial chamber for wizarding law has existed for centuries (Pottermore).
