[HPforGrownups] broomsticks vs. flying carpets AND Hogwarts's Security

[Eileen]

No: HPFGUIDX 55314

--- Gina Rosich <grosich at nyc.rr.com> wrote: > 
> I think it's a combination of tradition and racism,
> frankly.  Brooms have been a long-standing tradition
> in the U.K. as a mode of transport.  Also, they
> couldn't play Quidditch without brooms. 

I'm sure that the basic reason is that the Ministry
couldn't outlaw brooms if they tried. The wizarding
community always seemed a little anarchic to me. They
can't even enforce half the rules they do have. In
this case, it might make sense to us Muggles to outlaw
brooms outside of Quidditch, but to Mundungus Fletcher
and company?

> That flying carpets envokes
> images of maharishi and not of "good british
> families" packing up to travel together.  

Oh, I don't know. The Crouches had an Axminster that
could seat twelve. 

What use is there for the broom outside of Quidditch
anyway? It seems to me to be a relic of the past.
First of all, one can't fly it around without taking
extensive precautions or risking running afoul of
Ministry regulations. But, once you've got your route
planned out, and all precautions took, why take a
broom? An adult wizard or witch should be able to
apparate. If you can't apparate, floo powder can get
you to a whole lot of places. We've got portkeys
about. Meanwhile, there's the Knight Bus available,
invisible to Muggle eyes. Also, if you want to take a
lot of luggage with you, a broom is a really bad
choice. I would think that the only broom-riding you'd
do would be a) for the fun of it, b) to get to the few
places that aren't otherwise accessible. 

In that second category falls Hogwarts. I was and
continue to be disturbed by the security of Hogwarts.
Sure, no one can apparate on the grounds, but anyone
can fly in on broomsticks as proved by the Norbert
episode in PS/SS. I would wonder if this were
Hogwarts's Achilles Heel, except that the possibility
that Sirius Black had entered from the air is not even
considered in PoA, leading me to think that it's a
mistake in JKR's conception of Hogwarts.

Eileen

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