floo travel, fireplace communication, secret tunnels

[N Fry]

No: HPFGUIDX 41086

Just a few random little thoughts that occurred to me... (All references 
taken from the US hardback GoF)

As Hermione is so fond of reminding the boys (everyone say it with me 
now...), "You can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds!" But what about floo 
travel? That possibility is never mentioned. Meanwhile, I don't know if this 
is related, but we do know that people outside of Hogwarts can communicate 
with students through fireplaces. Sirius arranges to talk to Harry this way 
(conversation starts in Ch 19 pg 331). If one is possible, could the other 
be?

[In order to keep this from getting too confusing, I'll refer to the travel 
network (floo) and the communications network (head in fireplace), since 
there's no cannon proof that they're the same thing.]

When the Weasleys arrive at the Dursleys' to pick up Harry, Arthur tells him 
that he had their fireplace temporarily put on the travel network for that 
afternoon (Ch 4 pg 45). I wonder if communicating by fireplace works the 
same way. If so, then Hogwarts was already on the communication network 
before Sirius tried to contact Harry. He wouldn't have been able to get it 
put on for just that night.

(Even though I suppose he could have gotten Dumbledore or someone to do it 
for him, but that still may have raised some eyebrows. Why would the 
Gryffindor common room fireplace need to be put on the comm. network for a 
1:00 AM fireside chat? Sounds kind of suspicious...)

OTOH, if it is already on the comm. network, why don't more families keep in 
touch with their kids this way. There are multiple descriptions of the owls 
delivering mail, yet we never see anyone pulling a chair up to the common 
room fireplace to have a nice chat with mom.

Back to my first question - does anyone think that travel by floo to 
Hogwarts might be possible? I'm sure it's not normally on the travel 
network, but who's to stop a secret DE in the Ministry from putting the 
school on it long enough for Voldemort and/or some assassin DEs to sneak 
into Gryffindor Tower and Dumbledore's personal chambers in the middle of 
the night, kill a few powerful enemies in their sleep, and floo back out 
before anyone at the Ministry finds out what has happened and takes the 
school back off the travel network?

While I'm on the subject of midnight raids on Hogwarts - Wormtail knows 
about the tunnels leading into the school due to his days as a Marauder. Has 
anyone thought to guard those entrances or block off the tunnels? Voldemort 
& Co. wouldn't even have to worry about being spotted in Hogsmeade while 
trying to get to one of the entrances, because they could just apparate into 
a section of the tunnels that was off of Hogwarts grounds and then walk the 
rest of the way to the school.


~ Nik (who is *really* curious to know where that caved in tunnel leads to)





_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com