An in-depth reference guide to nearly everything in the Harry Potter universe.

Songs, Riddles and Poems

Below is a chronological list of the various songs, poems, and riddles that appear in the Potter series.


Gringotts poem engraved on the silver doors of the bank (Sorcerer's / Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5)

Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.


Hogwarts School Song (Sorcerer's / Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 7)

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies, and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest
And learn until our brains all rot.


Riddle, Snape's potions riddle (Sorcerer's / Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 16)

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.


Peeves' first song about Harry (Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 11)

Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done,
You're killing off students, you think it's good fun ---


Singing valentine that dwarf delivered to Harry (Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 13)

His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.


Merpeople's song in the golden egg (Goblet of Fire, Chapter 25)

Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour -- the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back


Merpeople's song in the lake (Goblet of Fire, Chapter 26)

An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took.
Your time's half gone, so tarry not
Lest what you seek stays here to rot.


Riddle, the sphinx's riddle (Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31)

First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me what's the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together, and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?


Peeves' second song about Harry (Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 12)

Oh, most think he's barking, the Potty wee lad,
But some are more kindly and think he's just sad,
But Peevsey knows better and says that he's mad ---


Weasley Is Our King - Slytherin Version (Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 19, 26, 30)

Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.
Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our King.
Weasley is our King,
Weasley is our King,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley is our King


Weasley Is Our King - Gryffindor Version (Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 30)

Weasley is our King,
Weasley is our King,
He didn't let the Quaffle in,
Weasley is our King.
Weasley can save anything,
He never leaves a single ring,
That's why all Gryffindors sing:
Weasley is our King.

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