What were wizard holidays like in the world of Harry Potter?

By Joseph Hayes | Jul 3, 2019

Do the witches and wizards take a holiday amidst all the mischief and havoc that occurs on what seems to be a daily basis in the world of Harry Potter?

Fighting off Death-Eaters, trying to stop Muggles from finding out their world and keeping on top of OWLS and NEWTS, it seems like wizards and witches in the world of Harry Potter have a lot of stress to manage. So how do they unwind, what are their holidays like and where do they holiday to?

Probably the best explanation is in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which mentions that the Weasley’s go on a “summer holiday in Egypt,” after Mr. Weasley wins a prize at the Ministry. From what the Prisoner of Azkaban states they seem to do all the things Muggles do, that is sightseeing, have a good time and as Ron mentions in the Prisoner of Azkaban film in the case of Fred and George get up to no good, trying to trick Percy into being shut in a crypt!

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What the book doesn’t explain much is how wizards safeguard their magical world, but it is implied that various magical charms and protections are used. Some of these are quite shocking with Ron Weasley eagerly detailing how Muggle tomb robbers had been victims of some rather sadistic spells cast by “those old Egyptian Wizards”. Although it is not outright stated, perhaps the dark magic used still keeps Muggles away from the wizard tombs

Yet, it seems that in more recent wizard holidays there is a less violent approach to keeping Muggles out of the way. Indeed, it seems acknowledged that it is the wizards who should leave no trace especially given they are intruding into Muggle areas, not the other way around.

One effective way that this is done is through port keys which are shown during the preparation of the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as a way of wizards getting around while remaining inconspicuous. Yet, while the Quidditch World Cup is highly impressive in keeping Muggles and wizards safe it has the advantage of being somewhat out of the way in “a nice deserted moor” as the Goblet of Fire states.

So what did wizards do when they traveled to holiday to a more famous area that means a lot to both wizards and Muggles, say Loch Ness? Loch Ness is an area of importance to both wizards and Muggles. This is because the Loch Ness monster as referenced in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is a dangerous “Kelpie” which holds an “XXXX” ranking by the Ministry of Magic.

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As Muggles are aware of this monster, it means that wizards have to be especially careful in an area like this was they to holiday here. Fantastic Beasts details that there have been wizarding attempts by “the Office of Misinformation” to convince “Muggles that all photographic evidence of the Loch Ness Kelpie is fake”.

Wizards presumably have hotels and guesthouses to stay at. One of these being the “Leaky Cauldron” mentioned in the Prisoner of Azkhaban. The “Leaky Cauldron” manages to cater to pretty much all kinds of wizards but there are no doubt wizard versions of top-end hotels for the likes of Lucius Malfoy. Yet, what about when wizard holidays go wrong?

It is not clear how wizards prevent themselves from becoming lost in the more remote areas they might holiday to. This has happened before with “Bertha Jorkins” a Ministry employee who Percy Weasley notes in the Goblet of Fire “went on holiday to Albania and never came back”. In fact, while holidays should be for wizards as with Muggles a time of relaxation and enjoyment, it might be time they are most vulnerable to dark magic as they are not suspecting it.

There is always thus a danger to wizards on holidays but this is perhaps only really the case if they stray off the beaten track. Quirrel touring might have been seduced by the dark side when he encountered what was left of Voldemort after his first defeat. However, Quirrel’s already existing inner darkness made him vulnerable in a way that someone like Remus Lupin would not be.

Wizards probably like everyone pack sunglasses and pretty off refreshments when they travel but given the potential dangers of the wizarding world, I don’t think anyone would fault them for bringing a wand as well!

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What do you think? What were wizard holidays like in the world of Harry Potter? Drop a comment just below sharing your thoughts.

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