Portkeys

[Jim Flanagan]

No: HPFGUIDX 5898

> But when Cedric and Harry touch the cup in the maze, and get
> whisked away to Voldy and Wormtail - how could that have worked if 
> portkeys can only be used at certain times? Did Moody/Barty Jr 
> control the events in the maze so that Harry reached the cup at the 
> right time?
> 
> Angela

I wondered about this at first too, but I finally think that I've 
figured out a very reasonable explanation:

The people running the World Cup made a big deal out of spacing 
arrivals out so that everyone would not appear at the same time.  
Consequently, they made a special effort to set up the port keys to 
activate at known times and intervals. It might not be necessary for 
all portkeys to operate in this fasion.

At the Triwizard Tournament it was sufficient to make the portkey 
active as soon as the event started, so that all the winner needed to 
do was touch it.  "Moody" was in charge of placing the cup at the 
finish, so he had the opportunity to change its destination to Lord 
V's family plot. 

One final quibble:  The "ghosts" that came out of V's wand told Harry 
that touching the cup a second time would take him back to Hogwarts.  
I'm not sure how they knew that it would take him back. I guess it's 
just one of those wizard things.

-Jim Flanagan