A question about portkeys

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 91662

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "suehpfan" <stanleys at s...> 
wrote:
> Sue ponders:
> 
> In the beginning of GoF (I do not have my book :() Mr. Weasley 
> explains that a portkey is used to transport people at a particular 
> time to another place.  As a matter of fact there is a great deal 
of 
> discussion about the time on Stoteshead Hill, they even counted 
> down.  After the QWC, the whole group went to try to get an "early 
> portkey".  How is it then, that the portkey in the maze took Cedric 
> and Harry the moment they touched it?
> 
> Any answers out there?

Geoff:
I think with the Stoatshead Hill portkey, it was one of a large 
number which were transporting folk to the Quidditch ground at a 
specific time and presumably had been "programmed" to operate in that 
way. I have a feeling that this was discussed some time ago and 
someone suggested that you could have an "open ended" portkey (rather 
like we have open return rail tickets here in the UK) which can be 
used as required or when touched. It was suggested that the Tri-
Wizard Cup portkey was set up to send anyone touching it to the 
graveyard and then back at any time - the plan being that if 
Voldemort had managed to kill Harry, he would have sent his body back 
whenever he had succeeded.

Again, in OOTP, Dumbledore sets up a portkey after the battle at the 
Ministry which was activated on the count of three.

So portkeys can function in more than one way it would seem.