Magical objects in Harry Potter: Encyclopedia II - Magical objects in Harry Potter - Transportation

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Transportation

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Broomsticks

Broomsticks are used for transportation by wizards and witches of all ages and for the game of Quidditch. Portkeys and Floo Powder also provide transportation. Licensed wizards of age will sometimes apparate. Eastern magic-wielders are usually the only ones to use flying carpets, and their use is banned in England at least, for being too conspicuous.

A complete culture exists for broomsticks as exists for cars in the real world, see the list of Broomsticks in Harry Potter.

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Floo Powder

Floo powder is a glittering powder used by wizards to travel and communicate using fireplaces. A fire to which Floo powder has been added will appear green. It was invented by Ignatia Wildsmith (1227-1320) and named after the passageway which leads from a fireplace to the chimney so hot gases can escape, or flue.

To use a fireplace for transport or communication the fireplace must be connected to the Floo Network. To transport from one fireplace to another, the traveller stands in the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder, states their intended destination in a clear voice, then throws the powder at their feet. Alternatively, Floo Powder can be thrown into a fireplace (with or without a fire already burning) and then the traveller can step into it. As for communication, one puts ones head in the fire, and speaks the destination. This allows people to communicate without having to travel to the location.

In the second book the Weasleys traveled to Diagon Alley by Floo powder. Harry did not say "Diagon Alley" clearly (the fire thought he said "diagonally", so he came out diagonally) and was deposited in a dingy and sinister shop in nearby Knockturn Alley. In the fourth book, Arthur Weasley used his position at the Ministry of Magic to have the Dursleys' fireplace temporarily connected to the Floo network, unaware that the fireplace had been bricked up. Sirius Black used the network to communicate with Harry in the same book. In the fifth book, Dolores Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad inspected the incoming and outgoing Owl Post, and every fireplace in Hogwarts, except for Dolores Umbridge's own fire, so Harry had to put himself in considerable risk and use Umbridge's fireplace whenever he wanted to communicate with Sirius at headquarters, a method which was quite uncomfortable to begin with.

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Flying Carpets

Flying carpets are an alternative wizarding type of transportation, possibly around the world, but illegal in Europe (or at least in England). Usually they are a thick rug, frequently highly patterned and often manufactured in the Middle East. The obvious advantage of the carpet over the broomstick is that they can seat a number of people, and are no doubt more comfortable to ride.

Flying Carpets were once an accepted form of travel for the magical community, but they are now banned due to being defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects. It is therefore now against wizarding law to charm carpets or fly them in Britain, although they are still legal in other countries. Arthur Weasley was very much involved in the introduction of this legislation due to his position in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. It is known that the ban was relatively recent, not only from Arthur's involvement, but also from the fact that Barty Crouch Senior's grandfather owned a 12-seater Axminster back in the days before they were prohibited.

A merchant by the name of Ali Bashir is very keen to export Flying Carpets to Britain and is very upset that local laws are preventing him from doing so. He regularly berates Arthur about the subject but it is very unlikely that the law will be changed.

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Hand of Glory

The Hand of Glory is an unpleasant instrument sold to Draco Malfoy by Borgin and Burkes. It is a large shrivelled hand, often displayed on a cushion. When it is given a candle, it gives light only to the one holding the hand.

In the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Hand appears in Borgin and Burkes. When Harry examines it, it attempts to break his wrist.

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Portkey

Portkeys are first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Once created, they can be set to transport anybody who touches them to a designated location, or to become active at a pre-determined time and transport to that location anybody who happens to be touching it at the moment.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Barty Crouch Jr., who was masquerading as Alastor Moody, made the Triwizard Tournament cup into a portkey so it would transport anybody who touched it straight to the hands of Voldemort, expecting it would be Harry Potter. However, Harry took the cup together with Cedric Diggory, so Voldemort had Cedric unceremoniously murdered with Avada Kedavra.

It has been noted by some fans that it is interesting that the simplicity with which portkeys are created in the beginning of the fourth book (as a method for transportation to the Quidditch tournament) and in the fifth book calls into question the need for the fourth book: Crouch, posing as Moody, could easily have turned, say, a book, into a portkey, called Harry into his office, and said, "Here, take this." This would have eliminated the need for Moody's laboriously guiding Harry through the tournament tasks, turning the trophy in the labyrinth into a portkey, and for 600-plus pages of dense (albeit interesting) reading. It has been argued by others, though, that due to the protection of Hogwarts, which also makes apparating impossible, the creation of portkeys on Hogwarts must have the permission of the Headmaster. This is why Moody cast the portkey spell on the Tri-Wizard Cup since, it was originally intended as a portkey all along by the tournament officials for the winner of the cup to exit the maze without having to fight past the other champions and challenges of the maze again. It would explain why the portkey took Harry back to Hogwarts and out of the maze when he touched the Cup the second time instead of back into the maze at Hogwarts (or not functioned at all like regular one time portkeys). Other evidence to support this theory may be found in the fifth Harry Potter book, including Fudge's anger at Dumbledore setting up an "Unauthorised Portkey", and the quote from Lupin: "...it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorised Portkey." Also, many argue that using the Tournament would be an excellent coverup for Lord Voldemort, who wished to return unnoticed. The death of Harry Potter would have been seen as a tragic accident in such a dangerous tournament, and Voldemort would be able to continue with his agenda unchallenged.

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Time-Turner

As the name suggests, a Time-Turner is a device capable of time travel. Hermione received one from Professor McGonagall in the third book so she could attend more classes than time would allow. Since McGonagall made her swear to not tell anyone about it, she didn't mention it to Harry or Ron until the end of the book, where she and Harry used her Time-Turner to travel back in time and save Sirius Black (and Buckbeak) from certain doom.

The confusions of time travel were such that Hermione chose to drop a few subjects at the end of the book, so she could have a normal schedule again. Though Time-Turners were briefly seen in the Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, time travel has not had a major role in any other book.

Hermione's Time-Turner resembled an hourglass on a necklace. The number of times one turns the hourglass corresponds to the number of hours one travels back in time. It is presumed there are probably other Time-Turners that allow one to travel by different intervals and/or into the future. Harry Potter seems to be a type 1 universe, as Harry and Hermione's experience in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban features a predestination paradox.

It was revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that the entire supply of Time Turners had been destroyed. It is unknown when or if the Ministry of Magic will replace them, or if it is even possible to.

Magical objects in Harry Potter - Vanishing Cabinet

At the end of the sixth book, Hogwarts is invaded despite its magical defenses against transportation spells by means of a vanishing cabinet. This transfers objects which go into one cabinet to a second paired cabinet where they emerge. One broken cabinet was already in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. This was repaired by Draco Malfoy. At the start of book 6 he is seen in Borgin and Burkes shop in Knockturn Alley (a side street of Diagon Alley, which has many shops for the Dark arts, hence: nocturnally) purchasing the twin of some object, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione are unable to see what it is, because he is standing behind a cabinet. He also requests Borgin's help to repair some object. It is likely that the vanishing cabinet was broken in the second book, when Peeves drops it over Filch's office as a diversion.

The vanishing cabinet is mentioned several times in the earlier books, such as when Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington convinces Peeves to drop it over Argus Filch's office in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in order to help Harry escape detention for "befouling of the castle" (tracking in mud). It was also utilized in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Fred and George Weasley, when they forced Montague, the Slytherin Quidditch captain and member of the Inquisitorial Squad into it when he tried to take house points from Gryffindor, presumably for no reason. In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Malfoy discovers that a pair of Vanishing Cabinets could be used as a magical passage, and uses this object to smuggle Death Eaters into Hogwarts. The Vanishing Cabinets have yet to appear in the films.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Transportation", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki