Bathrooms at Hogwarts have water closets and porcelain faucets, which are relatively modern inventions, considering Hogwarts was founded over 1000 years ago. Are the toilets magical, and upgrade themselves to modern standards, or have they been renovated (by house-elves, I suppose)? How often do the renovations happen?
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7Toilets really? :P– HBhatiaCommented May 31, 2017 at 8:08
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53Until quite recently witches and wizards just used to crap wherever they stood, then use magic to clean it up. #CanonFacts– ValorumCommented May 31, 2017 at 8:27
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4See the related scifi.stackexchange.com/a/59579/4918 about Hogwarts and plumbing.– b_jonasCommented May 31, 2017 at 8:40
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10Possible duplicate of How Could Hogwarts Have Realistically Accommodated the Basilisk 800 - 1000+ Years Ago?– chirluCommented May 31, 2017 at 8:45
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15Flagged to migrate to Academia.SE– DVK-on-Ahch-ToCommented May 31, 2017 at 13:22
1 Answer
Modern-style toilets were only added to Hogwarts during the 18th century:
When first created, the Chamber was accessed through a concealed trapdoor and a series of magical tunnels. However, when Hogwarts’ plumbing became more elaborate in the eighteenth century (this was a rare instance of wizards copying Muggles, because hitherto they simply relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence), the entrance to the Chamber was threatened, being located on the site of a proposed bathroom. The presence in school at the time of a student called Corvinus Gaunt – direct descendant of Slytherin, and antecedent of Tom Riddle – explains how the simple trapdoor was secretly protected, so that those who knew how could still access the entrance to the Chamber even after newfangled plumbing had been placed on top of it.
(Pottermore, Chamber of Secrets)
Whoever did the upgrade is unknown.
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34relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence Oh God, I can't believe the spell they taught for that Commented May 31, 2017 at 10:16
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32The Chamber of Secrets was originally accessible from the Chamber of Pots.– SneftelCommented May 31, 2017 at 10:42
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