[HPforGrownups]the burrow

[prefectmarcus]

No: HPFGUIDX 42914

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "bboy_mn" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> 
> bboy_comments:
> 
> This brings up an interesting point. I always assumed that Mrs.
> Weasley called (telephoned) the muggle taxis from the town post
> office. Which is true, but I also assumed that they waited at the 
post
> office for the taxis to arrive and loaded everything up there.
> 
> "Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office to
> order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take them into London."
> 
> "'Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us,' Mrs. Weasley 
whispered
> to Harry as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi
> drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. ..."
> 
> I always took 'yard' to me the waiting/parking area in front of the
> village post office, since most Brits refer to their yard as the
> garden,  but I get the impression that most people took that as the 
> yard in front of the Weasley house.


It could also be their front area/turnaround/etc.

> 
> On another note, let's think about who was there-
> 
> 1)Mrs. Weasley
> 2)Bill
> 3)Charlie
> 4)Fred
> 5)George
> 6)Ron
> 7)Ginny
> 8)Harry
> 9)Hermione
> 
> Nine people, 6 trunks, three owl cages, and one very large somewhat
> overexcited cat.
> 
> OK, all that fit in 3 limousine maybe, but 3 common English taxis?
> That seems like a stretch. 

That works out to only three people, two trunks, and an owl cage per 
taxi.  London cabs, the big black kind, could take all that and to 
spare.

> 
> And who paid for all this? If cost $12 to take a taxi from my house 
to
> the airport (Minneapolis); it's about 8 miles. Ottery St Mary in 
Devon
> (the inspiration for Ottery St Catchpole) to Westside London is 
about
> 225km/140miles. So what's your guess, US$100 minimum per taxi?
> 
> Pretty expensive for a family that is scraping for pennies.
> 
> Maybe the Ministry paid. Mr. Weasley tried to get Ministy cars, 
maybe
> since no cars were available, the Ministry offerred to pay for the
> taxis instead. Although, since Mr. Weasley got all those Top Box 
World
> Cup tickets for free (not cheap tickets), it seems like a lot of
> additional money to add taxi fair on top of that.
> 
> Just some thoughts.
> 
> bboy_mn

Maybe they got a group discount?  Or, as you said, the ministry 
pitched in.  Sirius Black is still on the loose, you know.

Marcus