The Hogwarts kitchens are located directly below the Great Hall and are just the same size. They have high ceilings and a great brick fireplace at on end. Mounds of brass pits and pans are heaped around the walls. There are preparation tables directly below the four house tables in the hall above, and when the time comes for the food to be served, it is magically transported through the ceiling of the kitchen onto the plates.

Potions are magical liquids created by mixing various ingredients in a cauldron according to very specific rules. These mixtures must usually be drunk to give their magical effect. The ingredients in potions range from mundane to the bizarre and fantastic, and the procedure for creating some potions can be complicated and time consuming.