Study

• Type: Room / Office
• Location: Found within various magical residences and institutions, including Hogwarts Castle, the Ministry of Magic, and private homes like Malfoy Manor and The Burrow.
• Owner/Residents: Albus Dumbledore, Dolores Umbridge, Arthur Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Tom Riddle Sr., and other individuals of authority or scholarly inclination.
• Key Features: Typically includes a desk, bookshelves, a fireplace (often connected to the Floo Network), comfortable seating, and personal effects reflecting the owner's interests, such as magical instruments, portraits, or collections of magical or Muggle artifacts.

A study is a room in a dwelling or institution used for academic work, administration, reading, or private meetings. In the wizarding world, a study serves as a private office, a place for research, and often a secure repository for important or dangerous magical objects. The decor and contents of a study are highly indicative of the owner's personality, power, and allegiances. For instance, the office of Albus Dumbledore is filled with curious silver instruments, a vast library of books, and magical creatures, reflecting his wisdom and eccentric nature. In stark contrast, Dolores Umbridge's study at Hogwarts was decorated with ornamental plates featuring kittens and an overwhelming amount of pink, a cloying facade that masked her cruel disposition. Historically, studies have been centers of power and secrecy, where crucial plans are made and private conversations are held away from prying ears, often protected by powerful enchantments.

Studies are pivotal locations throughout the series, serving as the backdrop for major revelations, confrontations, and character development. They often function as spaces where the private nature of a character is revealed to Harry Potter and the reader.

• Headmaster's Office: Arguably the most significant study in the series, it is where Harry receives private lessons about Lord Voldemort's past via the Pensieve, learns about the prophecy, and comes to understand the nature of the Horcruxes. It is a place of both counsel and confrontation with Albus Dumbledore.
• Dolores Umbridge's Office: This study becomes a site of torture and oppressive authority, where Harry is forced to use a Black Quill during his detentions. Its appearance belies the dark activities that occur within.
• The Riddle House Study: In Little Hangleton, the study is where the caretaker Frank Bryce overhears Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew plotting, an event that directly leads to his murder and sets the stage for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
• Malfoy Manor Study: The drawing room, which serves as a study for Lucius Malfoy, is where Harry tricks him into freeing Dobby the house-elf. It is implied to contain a secret chamber for Dark Arts artifacts beneath the floorboards.

• Headmaster's Office (Hogwarts Castle): Belonging to Albus Dumbledore and later Severus Snape, this circular room is filled with portraits of previous headmasters, delicate silver instruments, the Sorting Hat, the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, and Fawkes the phoenix. It is a place of refuge, revelation, and counsel for Harry Potter.
• Dolores Umbridge's Office (Hogwarts Castle): During her tenure as High Inquisitor, Umbridge's office was a sickeningly sweet room decorated in pink, with frilly lace and plates featuring moving kittens. This cheerful facade masked the dark nature of her disciplinary methods.
• Arthur Weasley's Shed (The Burrow): While not a traditional study, this shed serves as Arthur Weasley's private workspace where he tinkers with bewitched Muggle artifacts, reflecting his deep fascination with the non-magical world.
• Study at 12 Grimmauld Place: A study in the ancestral home of the House of Black, which likely belonged to Sirius's ancestors and contained books on Dark Magic.

• In the film adaptations, Albus Dumbledore's office is a particularly memorable and grand set, featuring towering, book-lined walls and a large orrery. The intricate design emphasizes his wisdom, power, and eclectic nature. (film)