Molly, train vs taxi, animgus

[Simon J. Branford]

No: HPFGUIDX 4454

Susan wrote: "Malfoy says at some point all the Weasleys have red hair and
more kids than they can afford."

I do think that Molly has red hair but will point out that Molly is only a
Weasley through marriage and so the above statement could be considered as
not applicable to her.


Heidi wrote: "I *know* that first class tickets are more expensive, but I'm
not convinced that the cost difference would've been so signficant - there
were 6 kids & 1 adult goignto 9 3/4 (am I right that only Molly went, not
bill or charlie?) and a whole bunch of heavy luggage, 2 owls and a cat.
Probably more than one can reasonably take on a train, especially when you
can't use magic toget the bags on & off, because of the muggles."

Charlie and Bill went as well - so that makes 3 adults and 6 children. Under
rail rules this is 5 adults and 4 children (16+ counts as adult). I decided
I would take a look and find out if the journey was possible by train and to
the cheapest it would be. I had to use 1st November 2000 as the date (still
a weekday like 1st September was this year) as the site in question only
works for days that have not yet happened.
It is not possible to get a direct train from Exeter to Kings Cross, you
have to go to Paddington and then tube across London. The train I found left
at 7:55 am and you got to Kings Cross at 10:30 am (Change at Paddington at
just before 10 am). Doesn't sound too bad! This would work out at 193.4 if
you could get all the cheapest tickets that I selected for the journey. But
I know for a fact that getting all the cheap ticket would be impossible -
due to the train starting its journey before 9 am or that it arrives in
London before 10 am.
I think the cheapest type of tickets that you could get for the journey
would bring the journey to 353.5 and travelling first class would be 539.

I am unsure how this compares to 3 taxis for a 100 miles (? - I am guessing)
journey. I can see Heidi as being correct that 3 taxis over that distance
may not be that much more expensive.


Susan asked: "If you were to become an animagus/a, what would you LIKE to
become? Is that different than what you think you WOULD become? What would
you be afraid you MIGHT become?"

This sort of came up in the chat last night - it was which lesson would you
do if you could only do one? I said transfiguration and so we got onto a
discussion of what animal I would transform into. My answer (edited to
remove typos) was: "I like owls so I would probably go for something like
Hedwig - or else a big dog like Sirius"


Simon