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Arthur Weasley's Flying Ford Anglia
Arthur Weasley owned a 1960 Ford Anglia 105E that he subsequently enchanted; consequently, the vehicle can fly, become invisible, and carry the entire Weasley family in spite of its formerly non-enchanted interior dimensions (also the Undetectable Extension Charm), among other abilities. The enchantment placed on the car also made it semi-sentient. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the car is borrowed by Fred, George and Ron, who use it to rescue Harry from the Dursleys' house. Ron and Harry later steal the car in order to return to Hogwarts after the gate to Platform 9¾ is sealed by Dobby. After they arrive at school, landing in the Whomping Willow, the car ejects Harry, Ron, and their luggage, then flees into the Forbidden Forest, ignoring Ron's pleas for it to come back. Mr Weasley soon faces an inquiry at the Ministry of Magic, as seven Muggles saw the car flying across areas of Central London and the British countryside, and is forced to pay a large fine.
The car reappears when Harry, Ron, and Fang visit Aragog in the forest: when the great spider's colony of acromantula attempt to devour the three, the car attacks the spiders and carries them to safety; it allowed Ron to control its functions during the escape. The car does not return to the Weasleys despite saving Ron, Harry, and Fang from Aragog's children, instead reentering the forest to remain on its own. The car's current condition is undisclosed; Ron had commented that the enchanted vehicle had become wild and thus operated autonomously, like a wild animal. According to Ron, the car does not require fuel and can keep going until it is destroyed. Canonically, it is still roaming around the Forbidden Forest, waiting for a Weasley to have need of it again.
The 1962 Ford Anglia used in the film was acquired by Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, and is currently displayed in the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.
Broomsticks
Broomsticks are used for transportation by witches and wizards of all ages, and for participating in the game of Quidditch. Their use is similar to that of flying carpets, although the latter are banned in Great Britain by the Ministry of Magic. However, they are uncomfortable for extended trips, even with a cushion charm applied, and thus many wizards favour other means of transport for those journeys.
Broomsticks are treated as a major consumer product in the wizarding world. There are numerous manufacturers and models of brooms, including Cleansweeps and Comets, all of which vary in their capabilities. These range from expensive high-performance models to toy broomsticks for young children that fly only a few feet off the ground to family-sized broomsticks that seat multiple people and include a luggage compartment below the seating area.
Since Harry plays Quidditch, his broomsticks -a Nimbus 2000 and later a Firebolt- are prominent in the series. The Nimbus 2000 was given to him by special consent of Dumbledore via Minerva McGonagall, who had chosen him as the Gryffindor Seeker. The Firebolt was given to him by his godfather Sirius Black as a Christmas gift after his Nimbus was destroyed by the Whomping Willow tree during a Quidditch match. The Firebolt remains the fastest broom in the world, having surpassed the previous record holder, the Nimbus 2001 (which Draco Malfoy owns and which his father Lucius Malfoy had given as gifts to the entire Slytherin team as a bribe to have Draco as their Seeker). The price of the Firebolt is so high it is only available upon request.
Floo Powder
Floo Powder is a glittering powder used by wizards to travel and communicate using fireplaces. It was invented by Ignatia Wildsmith (1227-1320) and named after the flue, which is the passageway that leads from a fireplace to the chimney and allows hot gases to escape.
Floo powder can be used with any fireplace connected to the Floo Network. To transport from one to another, the fire at the point of departure must first be lit. The traveler throws a handful of Floo powder into the flames, turning them emerald green, then steps into the fireplace and states the intended destination in a clear and purposeful voice.
Floo powder can also be used for communication; a wizard or witch can kneel in front of the fireplace and stick their head into the fire, which will then appear in the fire of the destination fireplace, leaving the witch or wizard free to talk. It is also known that other body parts may be transported via Floo Powder, as Umbridge almost catches Sirius the second time he converses with Harry through the Floo network. Voices can also be transmitted through the Floo Network, as seen in the Prisoner of Azkaban by Snape, who summons Lupin through his office's fireplace while interrogating Harry about the Marauder's Map.
In Chamber of Secrets, the Weasleys travel to Diagon Alley using Floo Powder. Harry did not say Diagon Alley clearly enough due to coughing in the fire's smoke and ashes, so he was sent to Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. In the fourth book, Mr. Weasley uses his position at the Ministry to have the Dursleys' fireplace temporarily connected to the Floo Network, unaware that it had been blocked up. Sirius uses the network to communicate with Harry in the same book. In the fifth book, Harry uses the Gryffindor fireplace and later Umbridge's fireplace to communicate with Sirius; he is forced to use the latter because Umbridge begins monitoring all other lines of communication in and out of Hogwarts.
The Floo Network is controlled by the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry also has over 700 fireplaces in its headquarters so that officials and workers can go directly to/from work without the hustle and bustle of travelling on brooms or by Portkey -or the indignity of having to flush themselves in through a public toilet, as portrayed in Deathly Hallows.
Flying carpets
Flying carpets are rugs, that are enchanted with the ability to fly. Flying Carpets were once an accepted form of travel for the British magical community, but they are banned due to being defined as a Muggle Artefact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects. It is therefore against British wizarding law to charm carpets or fly them, although they are still legal in other countries. Mr. Weasley was heavily involved in the introduction of this legislation due to his position in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office. It is revealed that the ban was relatively recent, not only due to Mr. Weasley's involvement, but also because Barty Crouch's grandfather owned and operated a 12-seater Axminster before flying carpets were prohibited.
More information: Wizarding World
Imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car a
nd telling his wife all he wanted to do with it
was take it apart to see how it worked,
while really he was enchanting it to make it fly.
Molly Weasley
Hogwarts Express
The Hogwarts Express is the train which transports Hogwarts students to and from the school at the beginning and end of each term.
It also transports willing students home for the Christmas holidays. It is stationed in Hogsmeade when not in use, and it can be accessed only by using the magical wall between platforms 9 and 10 of King's Cross train station (known as " Platform 9¾") in London.
Knight Bus
The Knight Bus is a heavily enchanted purple triple-decker Regent III class bus that transports witches and wizards.
Anyone wishing to use the bus may hail it by holding out their wand hand, regardless of where they are or the time of day. It makes its first appearance in Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry unintentionally hails it by throwing out his wand arm to break his fall after a stumble. Harry has a final ride on the Knight Bus with a number of his friends in Order of the Phoenix. The Knight Bus is faster than travelling by broomstick, but not as fast as near-instantaneous Floo Powder and apparating. The bus charges for the service based on distance; Harry is charged a base fare of 11 Sickles to travel from Little Whinging to The Leaky Cauldron. Amenities such as hot-water bottles, toothbrushes, and hot chocolate are available for a small additional fee.
The bus functions as a convenient form of public transportation for wizards and witches who either prefer to use it or are unable to travel by other means. The riders are seemingly picked up by the bus from all over in-universe Great Britain, bringing passengers to the destinations of their choice with seemingly no set route. It bolts through the streets entirely invisible to Muggles and causes other objects to dodge it, instead of the other way around, for short distance-travel. For longer distances, the Knight Bus instantly leaps 160 km at a time, accompanied by a great bang and jolt. The interior of the bus changes depending on the time of day, having seats by day and beds by night. It is also highly uncomfortable, according to Ron and Harry. Its only mentioned limitation in travelling is that it is unable to voyage through water.
The conductor of the Knight Bus is Stan Shunpike, and its driver is Ernie Prang. In the third film, Ernie is accompanied by a talking shrunken head voiced by Lenny Henry.
Portkeys
Portkeys are first introduced in Goblet of Fire by Arthur Weasley. They are an alternative to apparation but can also be used to transport a group of people at once. Created by using the Portus spell, a Portkey can be set to transport anybody who touches it to a designated location or to become active at a predetermined time and transport itself and anyone touching it to its set destination.
It may be created for one-way, one-time use or to transport the holder to and from a particular place in a round trip; in addition, it may be set to activate at a particular time or automatically transport the first person who touches it. The creation of Portkeys is highly restricted and controlled by the Ministry through the Department of Magical Transport's Portkey office. Cornelius Fudge objects to Dumbledore spontaneously creating one, stating that Dumbledore hasn't got authorisation; and at one point in chapter 3, Lupin says, ... it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorised Portkey.
Any object can be used as a Portkey. As a safety measure to discourage unsuspecting Muggles from picking them up and activating them, wizards are advised to use old, worthless items.
Portkey objects used in the Potter series include a football and an old Wellington. Once the Portus charm is cast upon an object, it glows blue and vibrates gently; once settled it has become a Portkey. When Portkeys are activated, users feel the sensation of a hook being jerked from behind their navel. The floor disappears from beneath their feet, leaving their last position behind them, and they fly forward through a whirlwind of colour and sound, appearing suddenly at their destination. With enough practice it is possible to achieve a graceful landing: After the Portkey trip to the Quidditch World Cup in the fourth film, Mr. Weasley, Cedric and Amos Diggory land on their feet, while the less experienced teenagers, including Harry, fall on the ground.
A Portkey plays an important role later in the climax of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. At the end of the Triwizard Tournament, the Triwizard Cup is revealed to have been turned into a Portkey by Barty Crouch Jr. to transport Harry and Cedric to a graveyard, where Cedric is killed and Voldemort regains physical form. Prompted by his parents, Harry later uses the Portkey to escape with Cedric's body back to Hogwarts.
Sirius Black's Enchanted Motorbike
Sirius Black owned a flying motorbike, which he lent to Hagrid the night Harry's parents died. It is first seen when Hagrid delivers the baby Harry to Number 4, Privet Drive in the first book, and then again when Hagrid uses it to transport Harry to a safe house in the seventh volume. In Deathly Hallows, various modifications have been made to the bike by Mr. Weasley, allowing it to create a brick wall or a net that erupts from the exhaust pipe and to shoot dragon fire from the exhaust, impelling the bike's sudden acceleration. The dragon-fire feature is used to great effect by Hagrid and Harry when being chased by Voldemort; however, Mr. Weasley did warn that he was unsure of its safety and that they should use it only in an emergency. He was right to say this, as the sidecar of the motorbike, unaffected by Hagrid's magic, dislodged after the abrupt acceleration.
The bike is severely damaged when, with Hagrid and Harry aboard, it crashes into Ted and Andromeda Tonks' garden pond. Mr. Weasley covertly tells Harry that he plans to put the bike back together when he has time, meaning when Mrs. Weasley is distracted or has forgotten about it. He hides it in the chicken coop and manages to repair it, giving it to Harry between the end of Deathly Hallows and the epilogue. The bike is now still in Harry's possession, but he doesn't use it.
A Time-Turner
A Time-Turner may be used for short-term time travel. Hermione receives a Time-Turner from McGonagall in Prisoner of Azkaban, enabling her to attend more than one class simultaneously. Hermione is ordered to keep it a secret from everyone, including Harry and Ron, although they notice the suspicious impossibility of her schedule and several bizarre disappearances and reappearances. Hermione reveals the secret to Harry and Ron near the end of the book, when she and Harry use the Time-Turner to save Sirius Black and Buckbeak. Strained by her heavy course load, she returns the device to McGonagall at the end of the novel.
A large supply of Time-Turners is kept at the Ministry, as seen in Order of the Phoenix; however, during the events of that book, a glass-fronted cabinet containing the Time-Turners is destroyed. Due to their time-affecting properties, the cabinet is seen to fall, shatter and repair itself repeatedly. In Half-Blood Prince, Hermione quotes an article in The Daily Prophet which stated that the entire stock of Ministry Time-Turners was destroyed during that incident. The books do not discuss who else may be in possession of Time-Turners outside of the Ministry. Time-Turners are dangerous when in the wrong hands, as it is said that many wizards met their demise after confronting and accidentally killing their own selves from the future, so they are issued very carefully.
Hermione's Time-Turner resembles a gold hourglass pendant on a necklace; it is unclear if all do. The user twists the hourglass pendant, with the number of twists corresponding to the number of hours of back travel required.
Time-Turners are a significant point device in Cursed Child, where it is revealed that a principle known as Croaker's Law restricts all legal Time-Turners to travelling a maximum of five hours into the past (any longer would create ripple effects that would harm either the time traveller or time itself) -although it is widely rumoured that Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius is the son of Lord Voldemort and that Scorpius' mother used a Time-Turner to make this possible. An illegal Time-Turner capable of travelling back years is confiscated from a Dark wizard by the Ministry of Magic (although official word remains that all Time-Turners are destroyed) and is later stolen by Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, who intend to travel back in time to prevent the death of Cedric Diggory. Unfortunately, they quickly discover the Time-Turner is a cheaply made prototype that only takes them back for five minutes before forcibly returning them to the present. After accidentally creating (and then undoing) an alternate reality where Voldemort survived and took over the world, Albus and Scorpius resolve to destroy the Time-Turner, but are forced into another time trip by the story's villain and are left trapped in the past when the Time-Turner is destroyed. Back in the present, Draco reveals he possesses a professionally made Time-Turner (bound by neither Croaker's Law nor the five-minute flaw) -he never admitted its existence for fear it would lend credence to the rumours surrounding his son and never used it (despite being tempted by the possibility of seeing his dead wife alive again). When Albus and Scorpius are able to send a message to their parents, Draco's Time-Turner is used to rescue the boys.
Vanishing Cabinet
Two Vanishing Cabinets play a role in the book series, separately stored at Borgin & Burkes and in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. When they are in good working order and used properly, a person who steps into either cabinet will instantly emerge from the other.
The Vanishing Cabinet is first seen in Chamber of Secrets when Harry hides in it to elude the Malfoys after accidentally travelling to Borgin & Burkes via the Floo Network; its transportation features are not activated as he does not shut its door completely. Its Hogwarts counterpart is also mentioned in Chamber of Secrets when Nearly Headless Nick persuades Peeves the Poltergeist to drop it (thus breaking it) over Filch's office in order to help Harry escape detention for tracking in mud. It is also used in Order of the Phoenix by Fred and George Weasley when they force Montague, the Slytherin Quidditch captain and a member of Dolores Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, into it after he tries to take house points from Gryffindor.
Montague is found several days later, jammed in a toilet and badly disoriented. In Half-Blood Prince, Draco Malfoy learns of his experience, determines that the cabinet is linked to the one still at Borgin & Burkes, and repairs it to allow Death Eaters access to Hogwarts.
More information: Wizarding World
Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"
The Hogwarts Express is a passenger train
which makes a run between King's Cross Station, London,
and Hogsmeade Station, taking students to and from Hogwarts.
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