Portkeys and Floo Network

[psychic_serpent]

No: HPFGUIDX 43227

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., eloiseherisson at a... wrote:
> Vera Selkie:
> 
> > I think it's likely that a muggle *could* be transported by a 
> > portkey, but only in the direct physical presence of (i.e., 
> > touching) someone with the talent to invoke it.

This doesn't jibe with the concern, expressed in GoF, that Muggles 
not touch Portkeys.  This is the reason given for making them things 
like old boots, used newspapers, etc.  If Muggles couldn't be 
transported by Portkeys, there would be no need to fear their 
touching them.

> There seem to be different types of Portkeys and I think this is 
> critical to the question. The Triwizard Cup seems to have been 
> transfigured so that the *first person who touched it* would 
> activate it (and we know that the situation was engineered, so 
> that Harry would be that person).

> The Portkey that is used to transport the party from Stoatshead 
> Hill, however, seems to have been *time* sensitive.
> The party had to be there by a specific time and it is announced 
> on their arrival as the 'seven past five from Stoatshead Hill'.

I think of this as different types of triggers, rather than 
different types of Portkeys, but I suppose that's just semantics. 

> Now *had* a Muggle happened to pick it up at seven minutes past 
> five, I have no doubt in my own mind that they *would* have been 
> transported by it 

Precisely.  Although why Portkeys don't constitute a "misuse of 
Muggle artifacts" is beyond me.  After all, if someone can get in 
trouble for charming a tea set that might wind up in Muggle hands, 
it seems very chancy to leave an old boot lying about which could 
transport someone clear across the country if it is touched at the 
precise time it was preprogrammed to do so.  Added to this is the 
problem of wizards being able to identify the Portkeys.  IIRC, when 
our party reached Stoatshead Hill, they didn't kow what the Portkey 
was going to look like.  I'm still mystified as to how they knew it 
was the boot instead of something else.  Perhaps there was no other 
rubbish lying about.  However, what would have stopped someone from 
coming along and taking the real Portkey and leaving the boot in its 
stead?  There was nothing except the lack of other likely candidates 
to point to the boot being the Portkey.  I think JKR has a wee plot 
hole here....

--Barb