floo travel, fireplace communication, secret tunnels

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 41127

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "N Fry" <nmfry at h...> wrote:
<snip>

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.

Another wrinkle to this is that Sirius tells Harry he broke into a 
wizarding home to use the fireplace while the house's occupants were 
out.  He clearly wants to move the conversation with Harry along, as 
he tells us he has no idea when the family whose house he's broken 
into will return.  How does Sirius know the family fireplace can be 
used to communicate to someone at Hogwarts?

Well, maybe the talking part of fireplace communication is like our 
telephones.  Every other fireplace is connected, unless an effort is 
made to disconnect one's fireplace, sort of like having an unlisted 
number.  The reason Sirius tells Harry to be at the fireplace at 1:00 
is because he doesn't want to run the risk of other students being 
around to witness his wanted-by-the-law head in the fireplace.  So, 
he arranges ahead of time with Harry on what time he'll "call", so to 
speak.


> 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.

Yes, one wonders.  Perhaps there is a school rule - "Except in dire 
emergencies, parents will communicate with their children via owl 
post."  


> 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?

Unless there are some sort of magical protections that prevent this, 
just as Apparation is prevented.
 
> 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? 

Not that we know of...Now that you mention it, no one seems to have 
thought of this, even though we know that Remus was all hot and 
bothered in PoA about whether or not Sirius was using the passages to 
get into the castle.

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

I wouldn't be at all surprised to have that tunnel play a part in one 
of the future books.  It seems like one of those things that JKR 
mentions in passing in one book, only to have it spring up 3 books 
later!

Maybe this is why it's taking so long for OOP to come out.  It's not 
because JKR is busy with movies, product licensing, moving into a new 
home, getting married, etc.  It's because she's found this list and 
is trying like mad to make sure all her loose ends tie up, all her 
Flints disappear, etc.  

Marianne, who wonders if wizards have to deal with telemarketing 
heads in their fireplaces...