Shell Cottage
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Shell Cottage
Location information
Owner(s)
Permanent residents
Affiliation
- "Bill and Fleur's cottage stood alone on a cliff overlooking the sea, its walls embedded withshells and whitewashed... WhereverHarry went inside the tiny cottage or its garden, he could hear the constant ebb and flow of the sea, like the breathing of some great, slumbering creature. He spent much of the next few days making excuses to escape the crowded cottage, craving the cliff-top view of open sky and wide, empty sea, and the feel of cold, salty wind on his face."
- — Description of Shell Cottage[src]
Shell Cottage was the home ofBill Weasley andFleur Delacour, after theirmarriage in the summer of1997. It was located on the outskirts ofTinworth,Cornwall, near the coast.[3] It was described as a "lonely and beautiful place."[1]
Sea Lavender could be found growing around it. It was a safehouse for various members of theWeasley family and other allies of theOrder of the Phoenix during the height of theSecond Wizarding War. Protected by theFidelius Charm, itsSecret-Keeper was Bill Weasley.
History[]
1970s/1980s[]
- "It was our aunt's. We used to come here as kids."
- — Early history of the cottage[src]
The cottage was built sometime in, or prior to, the1970s or1980s, and was by that time owned by an aunt of theWeasley children.Molly andArthur Weasley used to take their children there during their young years.[2]
Second Wizarding War[]
- Hermione Granger: "But where have you been, then?"
- Ron Weasley: "Bill and Fleur’s new place. Shell Cottage. Bill’s always been decent to me. He — he wasn’t impressed when he heard what I’d done, but he didn’t go on about it. He knew I was really sorry. None of the rest of the family know I was there. Bill told Mum he and Fleur weren’t going home for Christmas because they wanted to spend it alone. You know, first holiday after they were married. I don’t think Fleur minded. You know how much she hatesCelestina Warbeck."
- — Ron regarding his stay at Shell Cottage[src]
Shell Cottage in 1998
NewlywedsBill Weasley andFleur Delacour moved from Bill'sfamily home ofThe Burrow to Shell Cottage after theirwedding on1 August1997.
A newly married Bill and Fleur in the kitchen of Shell Cottage
Bill's younger brotherRon came to stay at Shell Cottage shortly after desertingHarry Potter andHermione Granger duringtheir mission to destroyVoldemort'sHorcruxes in the autumn of that year. Although he disapproved of his brother's actions, Bill did not give him a hard time about it seeing that he regretted his actions, even deciding not to go to The Burrow for Christmas so as not to expose Ron's actions to the rest of their family. Ron stayed for many weeks, leaving in lateDecember to return to his friends.[4]
The trio's refuge[]
Around Easter in1998, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were captured bySnatchers and brought toMalfoy Manor,Death Eater headquarters. This exposed Ron's cover that he had been ill at home withspattergroit, making it too dangerous for the rest of his family to go to their respective jobs. They used theFidelius Charm to conceal their locations, and Bill was theSecret-Keeper for Shell Cottage.
Harry standing in front of Dobby's grave
Ron, Harry, and Hermionemanaged to escape from Malfoy Manor with the help ofDobby, who was sent to assist them byAberforth Dumbledore. Fleur immediately tended to Hermione, who had beentortured into unconsciousness byBellatrix Lestrange. Dobby alsotransported fellow prisonersLuna Lovegood,Dean Thomas,Mr Ollivander, andGriphook to Shell Cottage, but was killed in the rescue.[3]
Harry dug his grave by hand between two bushes at the end of the garden, where they held asmall funeral. The inscription on his smooth, white tombstone reads "Here Lies Dobby, a Free Elf."[5]
Harry, Hermione and Ron talking to Griphook about theLestrange Vault
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed in the cottage while planning theirbreak-in ofGringotts Wizarding Bank with the reluctant assistance of Griphook. He made a deal with Harry to help them break into the Lestrange Vault and retrieveone of Voldemort's Horcruxes in exchange forGodric Gryffindor's Sword. Bill also warned Harry thatgoblins have different concepts of ownership than do witches and wizards, and that it would be dangerous to double-cross them.[1]
Also during their stay at Shell Cottage, Harry and the others were visited byRemus Lupin, who announced that hiswife had given birth to a son,Teddy, and made Harry the newborn infant'sgodfather.[1]
After the war[]
Following the end of the war on2 May,1998,Bill andFleur Weasley raised their three children (Victoire,Dominique, andLouis Weasley) at Shell Cottage.
Additional information[]
Hermione Granger mentioned Tinworth when she read a passage fromA History of Magic byBathilda Bagshot:
- "Upon the signature of theInternational Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1689, wizards went into hiding for good. It was natural, perhaps, that they formed their own small communities within a community. Many small villages and hamlets attracted several magical families, who banded together for mutual support and protection. The villages ofTinworth in Cornwall,Upper Flagley in Yorkshire, andOttery St Catchpole on the south coast of England were notable homes to knots of Wizarding families who lived alongside tolerant and sometimes ConfundedMuggles. Most celebrated of these half-magical dwelling places is, perhaps,Godric's Hollow..."[6]
Behind the scenes[]
Concept artwork of the Shell Cottage
- InHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, it is said that the cottage belonged to Bill's aunt, although this is never mentioned in the book. Also interesting is that neitherMolly Weasley norArthur Weasley have any sisters. It is therefore most likely that the cottage previously belonged to eitherMuriel,Tessie, the wife of one ofArthur Weasley's brothers, the possible wife of the unidentifiedWeasley children's uncle, or a possible wife ofGideon orFabian Prewett, Molly's brothers.
- On 22 April,BBC News reported the actual dates ofDeathly Hallows filming on the coastline ofWales would be May 11th through the 15th, 2009 on Freshwater West beach of thePembrokeshire National Park where the scenes for Shell Cottage were said to be shot.[7]
- On 24th of April, theT-L-C website released the firstphotos of Shell Cottage while under construction on the coastline in the Pembrokeshire area of Wales.[8]
- Photos of the completed Shell Cottage can be seenhere.
- Photos of the Day One Filming for the Shell Cottage scenes can be seenhere andhere.
- Photos of the Shell Cottage construction from start to finish can be seenhere.
- Read about the beach/location onBBC Wales Nature.
Appearances[]
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- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
- Pottermore
- HarryPotter.com
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Harry Potter: The Creature Vault(Mentioned only)
- The Art of Harry Potter: The Definitive Art Collection of the Magical Film Franchise
- Harry Potter: The Wand Collection(Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells(Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Magic Awakened(Mentioned inHistory of Magic classes)
Notes and references[]
- ↑1.001.011.021.031.041.051.061.071.081.09Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 25 (Shell Cottage)
- ↑2.02.12.2Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Chapter 1
- ↑3.03.1Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 23 (Malfoy Manor)
- ↑Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 20 (Xenophilius Lovegood)
- ↑Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 24 (The Wandmaker)
- ↑Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 16 (Godric's Hollow)
- ↑The Shell House built for the Harry Potter film “Deathly Hallows”.
- ↑Shell Cottage is now Under Construction in Wales!