Ravenclaw Table
Location Information
- Type: House Table
- Owner/Residents: Ravenclaw House
- Key Features: One of four long dining tables in the Great Hall, positioned second from the right when facing the High Table; frequented by the Ravenclaw house Ghost, the Grey Lady.
Description and History
The Ravenclaw Table is one of the four long, wooden tables situated in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. It runs parallel to the other house tables—the Gryffindor Table, Hufflepuff Table, and Slytherin Table—and is designated for the students sorted into Ravenclaw House. During mealtimes, food magically appears upon the table, transported directly from the Hogwarts kitchens located below the Great Hall. The table serves as the central hub for Ravenclaw students, where they take their meals, socialize, complete homework, and receive important announcements from the Headmaster and their Head of House, Filius Flitwick. During school-wide events like the Sorting Ceremony and the end-of-year feast, the table is filled with students cheering for their new members or for their standing in the House Cup competition. The house ghost, the Grey Lady (revealed to be Helena Ravenclaw), is often seen gliding along its length. Like the Great Hall itself, the table is presumed to have been a fixture since the founding of Hogwarts, having served as the dining and gathering place for centuries of Ravenclaw students known for their intelligence, wit, and wisdom.
Role in the Story
The Ravenclaw Table is a consistent backdrop for daily life and significant events at Hogwarts. While many minor scenes take place there, several key moments are specifically associated with it.
- In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry observes the Ravenclaw Table as new students are sorted. At the end-of-year feast, the Ravenclaws are in second place for the House Cup until Albus Dumbledore's last-minute point awards to Gryffindor cause them to lose.
- In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cho Chang is often seen at the table, where Harry Potter observes her before asking her to the Yule Ball. The Ravenclaw students at the table are generally supporters of the Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory.
- In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the table is where Harry first properly meets Luna Lovegood. It is also where Marietta Edgecombe's betrayal of Dumbledore's Army is publicly revealed when she appears with the word “SNEAK” spelled out in pimples across her face.
- In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the table becomes a crucial location when Harry searches for Ravenclaw's Diadem. He approaches the table to ask for information, where students like Terry Boot and Michael Corner direct him to talk to Cho Chang. This interaction ultimately leads to Luna Lovegood taking Harry to the Ravenclaw Common Room. During the Battle of Hogwarts, the table, along with the others, is overturned to be used as a barricade and later serves as a place for the survivors to gather.
Behind the Scenes
- In the film adaptations, the Ravenclaw house colours are consistently depicted as blue and silver, a departure from the books' blue and bronze. This is reflected in the banners and table runners seen in the Great Hall set. (film)
- On the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website, the Ravenclaw Welcome Letter describes the table as a place of lively intellectual debate and riddle-solving, where students discuss their discoveries and theories with one another. (Pottermore)