New Canon- Replies to EVERYONE - Apparate Limits

[Steve]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Erin" <erinellii at y...> wrote:

> ...edited....
>
> CATLADY
> 
> Catlady wrote:
> I'm sure she thinks she already answered the limits of Apparation in
> QTTA: "[The Oakshaft 79] will always be remembered as the broom used
> in the first ever Atlantic broom crossing, by Jocunda Sykes in 1935.
> (Before that time, wizards preferred to take ships rather than to
> trust broomsticks over such distances. Apparation becomes 
> increasingly unreliable over very long distances, and only highly 
> skilled wizards are wise to attempt it across continents." page 48).


> 
> Erin:
> ooh, that's quite a good quote.  Steve, if you've read this far 
> down, what do you think?  Should we take apparating off and just 
> leave Floo Network and Portkeys on the question?
> 
> Ok, I will sort through all the questions to see what to add 
> tommorrow, I'm skipping that bit for now.
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> 
> ---Erin

bboy_mn:

Catlady's quote doesn't answer my question, her quote is the very
reason I ask the question.

JKR says distance makes it harder, but WHAT distance? I'm hoping for
about 500 Kilometers as the limit for comfortable travel by common
average wizards.

She says only a skilled wizard would try cross continent travel; so is
that the North American continent or the European, and substantially
smaller, continent. A limit of 500 Kilometers (300 miles) would allow
travel in a single hop from London to Paris or Amsterdam, and to the
very far north Scotish Highlands.

I used my magnificent digital maps to determine that with a 300mi/500k
limit, you could jump to islands off the northern coast of Scotland,
then jump to Iceland, then Greenland, then across Greenland, then to
Canada. That would allow you to travel from London to the USA by
apparating. 

This brings up a question regarding cross continent travel; did JKR
mean cross continent in one hop, or a succession of hops? Is repeated
Apparation physically demanding? If you tried to go from London to
China in a continuous non-stop succession of hops, would you drop from
exhaustion when you reached China? 

So, I need details, ...lots of details.



Backstory- (mine that is)

In my private imaginary, usually X-rated world, Harry is the majority
stockholder in Weasley Enterprises (Tri-Wizard's investment in the
joke shop, now substantially compounded), he discovers a small wizard
company that has merged muggle electronics with magic into a
combination programmable portkey and pager system; called Portpagers. 

Harry and Ron (mostly Ron) convince Fred and George to buy the
company. So I have this device, and I need to know reasonable limits
for it. I also have a character who needs to Apparate to Tibet under
emergency circumstances, given limits I have set, I have him near
collapse when he arrives. 

This also brings up the headache of how the Ministry of Magic -
Department of Transportation will regard this device; portkeys are
strictly regulated. I think my way around that is the portkey charm is
only performed once at the factory, the individual user only programs
in his new destination, he doesn't perform the portkey charm. So, one
original portkey permit equals unlimted travel with this device as
long as you know how to program it. 

It has 25 presets, so most people just use the 25 location originally
custom programmed into it. It also has a [HERE] button, press it and
your current location is entered into a new preset. Really, a very
amazing devices.

In a yet unwritten episode, in the year approx 2014, Harry and friends
go broom flying on the latest Comet Dragon Fire brooms. I have to know
how far I can advance broom technology, and keep it in reasonable
proportion to current, in the book, broom technology. Harry's Firebolt
is the current standard; 0 to 150mph in 10 seconds, but no indication
of top speed. In two decades into the future, how much faster can I
make it? Plus, I have to factor in the limits of human endurance for
open air flight; it's cold and the wind turbulance is extreme. 

Who ever said being a writer was easy?

So, that's the foundation for my usual interest in magical travel. 

bboy_mn/steve