One thing that we love magic for is the way it makes daunting tasks easier and faster to complete. It can be used to automate our work, to vanish, clean, and repair various things with a simple swipe of a wand.
But what about transport? Although muggles have some amazing engines that fly in the air and even go through space, wizards are not keen on cars to move from their home to another place. No one wants to waste his time in infinite traffic jams when he can use magic!
Witches and wizards have developed many ways of transport and most of them are so fast that they can be an unpleasant experience for their new users. So what are the various types of transportation services used in the wizarding world?
Night Bus:
The idea of the Knight Bus was proposed and voted by Minister Dugald McPhail in 1865. This uncommon bus is a purple AEC Regent III RT that travels faster than any vehicle we can imagine. It will shrink itself to pass between two cars and obstacles jump out of its way.
To call the bus, you simply have to stick out your wand which makes it perfect as an emergency transport. Tickets can also be bought in advance. The bus will have unbolted seats during the day and beds at night.
Ernie Prang was the bus driver in the 1990s. He was assisted by Stan Shunpike whose role was to sell tickets to the passengers and take care of their luggage.
Brooms:
Brooms are a fun and quick way of transportation. They are loved by adults and kids and used in the famous game of Quidditch. Flying on brooms is taught in most wizarding schools in the first year of study.
Brooms come in different brands, each outperforming the other depending on its strengths and weaknesses. Among those, we find the Comet, the Cleansweep, the Nimbus, and the Firebolt which is considered the fastest broom ever created.
Flying carpets:
Flying carpets are not commonly seen in Britain because they have been considered by the Ministry as Muggle artifacts and thus banned. This ban is relatively recent as Crouch Senior’s grandfather used to own a flying Axminster, a flying carpet known for its high-quality material.
Portkeys:
Portkeys are objects bewitched to transport one or more wizards through long distances or into a place protected with a concealment charm. Most of the time, ordinary objects that muggles may consider rubbish will be used as Portkeys. This is to avoid any incident where a curious muggle touches a Portkey and finds himself in another country.
Regarding the number of incidents that can be caused by this type of transportation, each Portkey must require the Ministry’s authorization to be used.
A Portkey will be set to depart at a prearranged time, or when a person touches it. The spell to transform an object into a Portkey is “Portus”.
Apparating:
Apparition is the advanced act of disapparating from a point and apparating elsewhere. This technique requires serious training and passing a permit under the Ministry of Magic’s control.
Although considered as the fastest way to travel, many witches and wizards prefer other means of transport that are less dangerous such as brooms and Portkeys. Indeed, apparating can cause serious harm if not done correctly, due in part to lack of focus, it can cause Splinching, which causes a body part to be left behind while apparating.
To apparate successfully, one must remember the 3 D’s: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. One also has to be major in order for him to pass the permit.
Some schools like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry offer Apparition training to their 6th-year students, supervised by an official Ministry trainer.
Floo network:
A network of fireplaces can be found linking different houses and locations possessing one. The Floo Network is used by Ministry workers to get to their work and by the general wizarding population to travel quickly from their own living room.
To use the Floo Network, one will need to grabe a bit of Floo Powder, a green magical powder, stand in the fireplace, and state in a high and clear voice their destination while throwing the powder into the lit fireplace.
The network is controlled by the Ministry of Magic, and a fireplace must be connected to the network for it to be used. A fireplace can be temporarily connected and disconnected following the need.
Bewitched vehicles:
A vehicle made by muggles can be bewitched and transformed into a magical means of transportation. This type of conduct is controlled by the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office due to the threat it causes to the Statute of Secrecy.
The concerned vehicle can be made to fly, to roll on roofs, and to be equipped with a large number of protective and speed-boosting features.
Among those bewitched vehicles we find Arthur Weasley’s Ford Anglia, bewitched to fly with an invisibility option. Sirius Black also did some tinkering with a motorbike that he later offered to Rubeus Hagrid.
Toilet network:
An underground toilet network can be found in Whitehall leading to the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. They are used by the Ministry employees who have a magic token to get to their workplace.
Witches and wizards will go to their respective set of toilets reserved for man and woman, stand on the toilet bowl and flush themselves in. Their feet will remain dry as they are flushed down the toilet into the Atrium.
Vanishing Cabinets:
A Vanishing cabinet works as a passageway with its sister. These objects work in pairs and can allow the transport of objects, animals, and large groups of people.
It is apparently possible to use a Vanishing cabinet to bypass several security measures used to protect guarded places from intruders, as it happened in Hogwarts in 1996.
Vanishing cabinets were very popular during the First Wizarding War, as they were used by the wizarding population to escape from their home if unwanted dark wizards come looking for them.
Magical creatures:
Magical creatures are powerful beings capable of many astonishing demeanors. They are often used by witches and wizards as messengers, guardians, and also for transportation.
It’s more secure to go for tamed beasts accepting to be mounted. But sometimes, even dragons can be mounted when the conditions are reunited.
Winged creatures are the most praised by witches and wizards due to their speed. We will commonly find Thestrals, Hippogriffs, and Abraxan winged horses being mounted for such purposes. Not every horse-like creature can be mounted. Centaurs see it as an insult to be mounted by humans and will only allow this to happen on extremely rare occasions.
Muggle made vehicles:
Witches and wizards will sometimes use normal muggle-made vehicles for transportations. This is often due to the law known as “The International Statute of Secrecy” severely punishing anyone revealing magical capabilities to wizards.
The most notorious muggle-made transport, in Great-Britain at least, is the Hogwarts Express. This train runs between London King’s Cross Station Platform 9¾ and the Hogsmead station to carry students to and from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Hogwarts Express was the idea of Ottaline Gambol, Minister for Magic in 1827, to put an end to the chaos created by hundreds of students having to improvise several times a year to get with their trunks and pets to the school.
The project required the biggest concealment charm ever performed in Britain along with one hundred and sixty-seven Memory Charms in order to acquire the train.
Apart from this supermassive means of transport, many wizards will use simple cars to go unnoticed among muggles. The ministry itself will sometimes give some of its employees a car when needed, as seen with Arthur Weasley when he used them to transport Harry Potter discreetly.
