flying

[Jim Flanagan]

No: HPFGUIDX 16179

RE:  Why did Dumbledore fly to London on a broom near the end of PS, 
rather than just apparating there?

The sender of the urgent message had reason to detain Dumbledore for 
as long as possible while the bad guys were attempting their little 
heist.  The fake note from the MOM could have instructed him not to 
apparate, "for reasons to be explained when he got to London."  This 
would have left him incommunicado for at least the duration of one 
leg of the flight.

An explanation such as this (or any of the explanations that have 
already been proposed up thread) would be sufficient to allow JKR to 
weasel out of this question if she is ever asked.  No harm, no foul, 
no Flint.

-Jim

>> One other little inconsistency is that Dumbledore apparently flies 
>> a broomstick to London when called there toward the end of SS/PS. 
>> I realize that it's probably just because of the fact that JKR 
>> hadn't thought up Apparition yet, since Dumbledore should 
>> certainly be able to Apparate. But it's a Flint, certainly. 
>> Maybe he accidentally let his Apparition license expire...
 
> OK, I have a bunch of reasons for this, too.

<snip>

> 4- Actually all McG. says is that "He received an urgent owl from
> the MOM and flew off for London at once."  Maybe what she meant
> is that he flew as far as the edge of Hogwarts grounds and then
> apparated into London, since AS EVERYONE KNOWS it says in 
> Hogwarts, A History that you cant apparate or disapparate in 
> Hogwarts.