Flanders

• Type: Muggle region
• Location: Western Europe
• Owner/Residents: Primarily Muggles
• Key Features: Known historical site of an Augurey nest.

Flanders is a region in Western Europe, known in the wizarding world as the location where a champion from the Brazilian school of magic, Castelobruxo, was discovered after getting into trouble during a past Triwizard Tournament. The exact year of the incident is unknown, but it was memorable enough to be used as a cautionary tale decades later. The champion, whose name is not recorded, was found in a tree by the Head of the Wizengamot. The wizard was discovered playing the flute to a nest of Augureys, magical birds whose cry was once believed to foretell death. The specific circumstances that led the champion to Flanders from the tournament grounds remain a mystery.

Flanders is mentioned once in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. While discussing the upcoming Second Task, Harry Potter is warned about the dangers and unpredictability of the Triwizard Tournament by Barty Crouch Jr., who is magically disguised as the Auror Alastor Moody. To illustrate his point about the need for “CONSTANT VIGILANCE!”, Moody recalls the story of the Castelobruxo champion being found bewildered in Flanders. This historical anecdote serves to build the lore of the Triwizard Tournament by highlighting its perilous history and international scope. Simultaneously, it is part of Crouch Jr.'s calculated effort to manipulate Harry by offering seemingly helpful advice and earning his trust.

• A tree that once housed a nest of Augureys.

Flanders is a real-world historical region that covers parts of modern-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Its use in the novel grounds the wizarding world by connecting it to real-world geography, suggesting that wizards and magical creatures can be found even in predominantly Muggle areas.