Password

" No Password, no entry!"

—The Fat Lady in 1995 ^[src]

Passwords are used throughout Hogwarts Castle to restrict entry to certain areas such as house common rooms and teacher offices. Passwords in Hogwarts appear to change on a frequent basis.

During Sir Cadogan's period of guarding the Gryffindor common room, he changed passwords so frequently that Neville Longbottom had to write them down. This list was snatched by Crookshanks and was given to Sirius Black, allowing him entrance.

Passwords were also used as a way to gain to access to the radio programme Potterwatch, as a way to protect it from Death Eaters possibly listening. New passwords were introduced at the end of each broadcast, and could be used to listen to the next one.

List of previously used passwords[]

Hogwarts[]

Gryffindor Tower[]

1991[]

Caput Draconis (Latin for "Dragon's Head")
Pig Snout

1992[]

Wattlebird

1993[]

Fortuna Major (Latin for "greater luck")
Flibbertigibbet
Oddsbodikins
Scurvy Cur

1994[]

Balderdash
Banana Fritters
Fairy Lights

1995[]

Mimbulus mimbletonia
Alea iacta est^[1] (Latin for "The die is cast.")

1996[]

Abstinence
Baubles
Dilligrout
Tapeworm
Quid Agis (Latin for "How are you")

Hufflepuff Basement[]

Instead of a password, one must tap the correct barrel with their wand, in the rhythm of "Helga Hufflepuff".

Ravenclaw Tower[]

(Instead of a password, a conundrum is posed.)

Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?
- Answer: A circle has no beginning.
Where do Vanished objects go?
- Answer: Into nonbeing, which is to say, everything.

Slytherin Dungeon[]

1992[]

Pure-blood

Headmaster's Office[]

File:19.JPG

Minerva McGonagall using "Sherbet lemon" in 1992.

1992[]

Sherbet lemon

1994[]

Cockroach cluster

1996[]

Acid Pops
Fizzing Whizbees
Toffee Eclairs

1997[]

Dumbledore

Unknown[]

Chocolate Frogs

Prefects' bathroom[]

1994[]

Pine-fresh

One-Eyed Witch Passage[]

Dissendium

Chamber of Secrets and Salazar Slytherin's Locket[]

"Open" (spoken in Parseltongue)
Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four. (spoken in Parseltongue, to release Salazar Slytherin's basilisk from its nesting place)