Enchanted Transport
Appearance: Enchanted Transport in the Magical World comes in many different forms. From the enticing Firebolt flying broomstick to the unassuming Portkey, witches and wizards have devised dozens of ways to travel using magic. Possibly the most common, if not stereotypic, way for witches and wizards to travel is by air. Nearly any object can be enchanted for flight although some, like broomsticks and magic carpets, certainly lend themselves more easily to the transportation of people. Many of these common forms of Enchanted Transport are covered more thoroughly in other articles on this site. To visit these articles, please follow the links in the "Notes" section of this article.
In the series, Muggle items such as motorcycles and even cars have been enchanted for flight. One such Flying Motorcycle was the property of Sirius Black. This Motorcycle was "huge"; large enough to carry half-giant Hagrid, but otherwise looked like an ordinary Muggle machine [PS/SS1]. Another deceptively common Muggle item that was magically enchanted for flight was Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia. Mr. Weasley enchanted the old, turquoise car not only so that it could fly but also to be extra roomy on the inside, have expanded trunk space, and become invisible through the instillation of an Invisibility Booster [COS3, 5]. Other objects enchanted to fly include the Beauxbatons' Carriage, which was powder blue and as large as a house, broomsticks like Harry's Firebolt, and the magic carpet that Barty Crouch Sr. recalled fondly from his childhood. In each case, these items seemed to look more or less like their unenchanted Muggle counterparts.
But not all forms of Magical Transportation are enchanted to fly. Some are enchanted to travel through water, like the magical ship the students from Durmstrang used to reach Hogwarts during the 1994-1995 school year, and the small boats that carry first year Hogwarts students to the castle. Both the Durmstrang ship and the Hogwarts boats seem to resemble ordinary Muggle sea vessels, but like the objects bewitched for flight, they are enchanted to propel themselves magically through the water.
Air and sea are not the only means of travel in the Magical World. Some objects, like the Knight Bus, the Hogwarts Express, and the carts at Gringotts bank, are enchanted to move both over and under the land. The Knight Bus is a "triple decker, violently purple bus" that carries stranded witches and wizards wherever they need to go at a high rate of speed [POA3]. The Hogwarts Express is a passenger train pulled by a gleaming scarlet steam engine that takes students to and from Hogwarts. The carts at Gringotts are small rail cars that follow a rickety path of their own design into the bowels of the Wizard Bank, taking visitors to the hidden vaults below.
While items can be enchanted to carry witches and wizards through the air, the water, or across land, there are other methods of Magical Transportation that seem to take a more immediate route. Portkeys and the Floo Network transport witches and wizards almost instantaneously. Both of these methods of transport are closely monitored by the Ministry of Magic and neither resembles any type of Muggle Travel. Portkeys are discarded bits of trash or unassuming objects that have been enchanted to transport people from one location to another. They can be anything from a deflated football or dirty old shoe to the Triwizard Cup as Harry found out in June of 1995. The Floo Network requires only a fireplace and some silvery Floo Powder in order to work, whisking witches and wizards through all the fireplaces in the Floo Network until arriving at the spoken destination. Both methods are very quick, though perhaps not the most pleasant means of travel.
Probably the most commonly-used method of travel for of-age witches and wizards is Apparition. This does not involve any magical object, but allows one to disappear from one place and appear almost instantly at one's destination, entirely through willpower. This does not happen without some discomfort and great risk (the risk of being seen by Muggles, of course, or of splinching-leaving a body part behind), so only magic folk who've come of age and have passed a Ministry test to get their license can do it. However, someone with an Apparition license may bring a younger person along through Side-Along-Apparition. One cannot Apparate without a wand, as Ron found out in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor [DH23]
Function:
Transportation and entertainment; can also be used as a form of communication in the case of Floo Powder. Some forms of Enchanted Transport, like the Knight Bus and Portkey, are used with the sole purpose of transporting witches and wizards from one location to another. Other forms, like broomsticks, are used both for transportation and for recreational purposes.
How to Use:
The use depends on the type of Magical Transport in question. Both Sirius's Flying Motorcycle and Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia seemed to be driven just like their Muggle counterparts, with the exception that they were being driven through the air instead of on land. The Beauxbatons' Carriage was pulled by a dozen large, flying horses. Broomsticks seem to hover and fly as soon as they are mounted, although skill level obviously varies among witches and wizards. It can be assumed that magic carpets operate in much the same fashion as broomsticks.
For water transport, the Durmstrang ship apparently needed the students to sail it. The Hogwarts Boats, on the other hand, were perfectly capable of both steering and propelling themselves. Land transportation is similar; the Knight Bus depends on driver Ernie Prang to keep it moving. The Hogwarts Express also has a conductor, but the carts at Gringotts seem to behave much like the Hogwarts boats, moving of their own accord.
Portkeys and the Floo Network seem to be more complicated methods of Enchanted Transport. To travel by Portkey, an object must first be transformed into a Portkey with the "Portus" Charm. The Portkey must then be activated, which can be done in several different ways. To travel by Floo Powder, the witch or wizard must cast a handful of the powder into the fire. When the flames turn green, the witch or wizard then steps into the fireplace and says the name of their destination.
Most difficult is probably Apparition. To Apparate, one must concentrate very hard, focusing on the destination with great determination and deliberation (the infamous three D's) [HBP18]. It is often done with a slight twirling motion and accompanied by a loud pop. Most witches and wizards, like Hogwarts sixth-years, receive lessons from the Ministry in order to master this. The general process of Apparition, though mercifully quick, feels like being forced through a small rubber hose: there is a tremendous sense of pressure and sometimes difficulty breathing [HBP4]. Side-Along Apparition can occur against the will of the one Apparating. When Hermione, Ron, and Harry made their escape from the Ministry, Death Eater Yaxley clamped on to Hermione's arm and was brought along with them into Grimmauld Place and, therefore, the Fidelius Charm [DH13]. Other creatures such as House-elves can Apparate as well, and can even do so when normal witches and wizards cannot. The House-elves at Hogwarts can Apparate within and out of the grounds. Kreacher could even Apparate in and out of the cave where Voldemort had hidden his locket Horcrux [DH10].
Notes:
Enchanted Transport is an important topic in the Wizarding World. It is so important there is a branch of the Ministry of Magic devoted to the regulation of magical methods of transportation.
Broomsticks seem to come in as many makes and models as Muggle automobiles. The most popular Broomsticks are Racing Brooms, like the Firebolt and the Nimbus Series, which are used to play Quidditch. For more information on Broomsticks, click here.
Magic carpets are considered a family vehicle because they can carry more people than Broomsticks. They are currently banned in Great Britain because they are defined as a Muggle artifact, making enchantment illegal [GOF7]. For more information on Magic Carpets, click here.
Floo Powder is a type of powder that, when thrown into a fireplace connected to the Floo Network, allows a witch or wizard to travel through that fireplace to any other fireplace in the Floo Network. One can also simply stick one's head in the flames and say the destination without being transported in whole. Amos Diggory does this the day the kids leave for Hogwarts to warn Arthur about Mad-Eye's attacking dustbins [GOF11] For more information on Floo Powder and the Floo Network, click here.
The Knight Bus is a purple, triple decker bus that transports people for a relatively low cost. The ride is fast paced and jarring, making the Knight Bus a rather unpleasant means of Enchanted Transport.
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