Hagrid's Pumpkin Patch

• Type: Garden/Plot
• Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry grounds, near Hagrid's Hut
• Owner/Residents: Rubeus Hagrid
• Key Features: Magically-enlarged pumpkins, proximity to the Forbidden Forest

Hagrid's pumpkin patch is a small, fenced-in plot of land located behind Hagrid's Hut on the Hogwarts grounds. As the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid personally tends to this garden. Its primary feature is the crop of pumpkins he cultivates for the annual Hallowe'en feast in the Great Hall. Hagrid takes immense pride in his pumpkins and often uses magic, likely an Engorgement Charm, to make them grow to an enormous size, sometimes described as being as large as small sheds. The patch is a recurring setting, showcasing Hagrid's gentle, nurturing side and his love for all growing things.

The pumpkin patch is the setting for several pivotal moments in the series:

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Harry Potter and Ron Weasley hide in the pumpkin patch under an Invisibility Cloak when Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy arrive to take Hagrid to Azkaban and suspend Albus Dumbledore. It is here that they overhear Hagrid's cryptic clue, “follow the spiders,” which leads them to Aragog in the Forbidden Forest.
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The patch is the site of Buckbeak the Hippogriff's scheduled execution. Harry, Ron, and Hermione Granger are present shortly before the executioner, Walden Macnair, arrives. Later, using a Time-Turner, Harry and Hermione return to this exact spot. They hide amongst the giant pumpkins to rescue Buckbeak just moments before he would have been killed, a crucial act that later allows for the rescue of Sirius Black.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Hagrid proudly shows his massive pumpkins to Madame Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, as part of his attempts to court her.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Hagrid chooses a spot near the pumpkin patch to bury the body of his deceased friend, the Acromantula Aragog. Harry, under the influence of Felix Felicis, attends the “funeral” and uses the somber occasion to successfully persuade Professor Horace Slughorn to relinquish a critical memory about Tom Riddle and his Horcruxes.

While a small location, two specific sites within the patch are of note:

• Buckbeak's Tethering Post: The spot where the Hippogriff was tied while awaiting his execution.
• Aragog's Grave: The burial site for the giant spider Aragog, located at the edge of the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin patch is a visually iconic setting in the film adaptations, particularly in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The film depicts a field of fantastically large and gnarled pumpkins, some of which are hollowed out, creating a memorable backdrop for the Time-Turner sequence and Buckbeak's rescue (film). The location also appears in various Harry Potter video games, often as part of the explorable Hogwarts grounds (video game).