Pitch black at 7 pm? (Was: Re: Gleanings from 3rd Viewing)

[heathernmoore]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at y..., "Sister Mary Lunatic" <klaatu at p...> wrote:
> The real reason it was dark at Hogwarts, in Scotland in September at 7:00
> pm, is that it was magically-induced to increase the spooky atmosphere for
> the arrival of the students.  If Hogwarts is invisible to non-magic people,
> then surely a little artificial darkness would be child's play to
> Dumbledore, just for the fun of it.
> 
> Besides, it's literarily atmospheric, and the author wants it that way.
> Same reason that the full moons in Chamber of Secrets do not correspond with
> the actual dates of the full moons in  1992 (or whenever).  You're dealing
> with an artificial world created by Ms. Rowling, where things ARE AS THEY
> ARE WRITTEN, because it's convenient to the plot!
> 
> SML


 Just for yuks, I did a little web research on the National Rail Network website.  

Elgin & Gordonstoun are roughly in the same countryside as Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. In reality, it takes FIFTEEN HOURS to journey from London's Kings Cross Station to the rail station in Elgin, Scotland.  On the real rail system, you have to make at least one change - which I'm sure adds some time at least.  

But London direct to Inverness, where you'd most likely transfer to the Inverness-Aberdeen line which services Elgin, is itself eight and a half hours.

 We can assume that the Express is a Magical Train on a magical line, and thus can go directly to Hogsmeade without needing a transfer or stops at several stations along the way -- implied by "Express," although we're never actually told this. (Although there ought to be at least one unused depot along the way where the Dementors boarded the train -- did LV wipe out any magical villages which once sistered Hogsmeade?) 

Even so, I may well just have underestimated an 8 hour travel time between London and Hogsmeade. If they get to Hogsmeade at around 8:30pm (well after dark no matter what time of the year), and don't start eating until probably 9:30p or so, it would make sense that those First Years aren't getting up into their dorm rooms until rounding on 11p to 11:30p. No wonder they go straight to bed without a proper orientation.