Getting to Hogwarts

[Eustace_Scrubb]

No: HPFGUIDX 104065

Carol :
> What I wonder is how the pureblood kids get their trunks to and from
> King's Cross Station. Even if they're old enough to apparate, you
> can't apparate with a trunk (and in many cases, a pet as well). I
> don't think you can get to King's Cross using Floo Powder, either,
as
> there aren't any fireplaces there even if you could "Floo" with a
> trunk. And you can't ride a broom in broad daylight with a trunk
> hanging from it without calling attention to yourself (the escort at
> the beginning of OoP strikes me as one of the most improbable scenes
> in any of the books). 
<SNIP>

What about Portkeys?  They seem to be used to get large numbers of
magic folk to a central location at prescribed times.  The World Cup
of course was a special case, but the Department of Magical
Transportation (is that the right name?) is a permanent agency that I
would think would insure that portkeys were available every September
to get folks to King's Cross.  It might not be any more convenient to
drag your trunk along via portkey, but we know Harry transported
Cedric's body that way...I don't have GOF with me but I am guessing
that at least some of the World Cup attendees brought luggage with
them.

Carol again:
> Yes, the Malfoys et al. can get to *Diagon Alley* by Floo powder if
> they don't have a trunk to worry about, but how do they get to and 
> from King's Cross? For that matter, how do the Weasleys usually do
it 
> when they don't rent a taxi or have the use of Fudge's car?

Eustace_Scrubb:
Good question.  This may be movie contamination in part, but it seems
that the soot and smudges resulting from floo travel is one of the
things that sets the Weasleys' socioeconomically below the
well-groomed Malfoys.  In PS/SS, Ron has dirt on his nose (his mother
points it out in the book, Hermione in the movie).  It's not stated,
but my guess is that it's left from a floo journey on the way to
King's Cross.  I don't remember what the COS book says about the
Weasleys' appearance after going to Diagon Alley.  Certainly they and
Harry look quite disshevelled in the movie, especially in contrast to
suave Lucius Malfoy.  So I doubt the Malfoys travel by floo powder
very often.

Cheers,

Eustace_Scrubb