Floo Network and Hogwarts

[gecko2]

I don't believe this has been discussed before, please post the link if it has...

But I was wondering how the floo network works at hogwarts. If they are connected floo network (which we know they are, in POA snape talks to lupin about the map, and in GoF sirius talks to harry via floo powder), then why are they using the train, which takes several hours, when they could use floo and get them all there very quickly?

at first I though that it may be a private network, for security reasons, but no, sirius accesses hogwarts floo network from outside of hogwarts.

so basically my question is, how does the floo network and hogwarts work, and if it works normally, why do they bother with the long train ride?

[Hinkypinker]

Well...

My Little Sister is Autistic, (Shes in Special Education) And even if one of my family members is gonna be at her school that day (Helping out with field trips or what not) We always put her on the bus, It Focuses her on going to school. Perhaps the train Ride is a way to Focus the students on the upcoming school year.

Plus theres the added bonus of not having to A) coordinate 1000 Students to come through verious fireplaces, and keep them from coming at the same time and B) saves a Fortune on Floo Powder

Another thought:
Maybe its a way to Kind of wind down from the "real" World and into the "School" world, You get to talk to your friends, play exploding Snap, and Hang out be fore you get to the Tight Class schedule where theres no time to do anything but study and Sleep.

oh, and play a bit of Quidditch :-)

[gecko2]

yeah I guess the idea of the train ride helping students, adjust, and socialize makes sense. that could be the reason.

[lanifiel]

Also, I dont think we've seen anyone use the Floo Network to actually enter the school. Communicate with, yes. Enter, no. Perhaps the Floo network at Hogwarts is restricted so that people cannot travel in and or out from it, I mean otherwise what would be the point of having dorms? The children would just travel home every night via the floo network and we wouldnt have this lovely storyline :)

[-Fabian Bishop-]

Also a non-restricted floo network in Hogwarts would completely circumvent many security measures at Hogwarts such as the inability to simply apparate there.
Think about it, Sirius could have just floo'd his way into the Gryffindor common room to steal scabbers, etc.

-Dal

[MadMagic]

It would seem a security hazard to have the floo network connected to Hogwarts.

The Floo network in general seems like a security problem, but there is probably more to it than we know.

[gecko2]

yes but the floo network IS connected to hogwarts... sirius talks to harry from outside of it... but you could be right, maybe you can only comunicate with it, not use it as transportation

[Alastor D]

Unfortunately I have forgotten where we went through this question.
But, as JKR hasn't told, we don't know exactly what is floo and what is something else.
To me the 'talking head in the fireplace' looks more like some kind of telepathy than physical transportation. And Lupin coming out of Snape's fireplace seems a bit different too. Normally you have to use the powder yourself and tell where you want to go. This seemed more like some kind of summoning.

[Hermione]

Yes Sirius does use the floo network at Hogwarts but couldn't that be simply explained. Maybe Dumbledore fixed the network so that Sirius could use it or something. I mean that would make sense being as Dumbledore knows that Sirius is innocent.

[jordmundt6]

Here's a question. Do they use the same type of floo powder for floating-head conversations that they do for full transport? If there's different types of Floo powder maybe Hogwarts could be set up with a secure in-house transport network (Lupin can be transported instantly from his office to Snape's) but have a secured outer line that only permits conversation (thus allowing Sirius to talk to Harry, but not allowing him to jump in and grab Peter and then jump out again).

[DocHollidaywe]

I think the school's Floo is only connected to the schools fireplaces ... The head in the fire is not a Floo thing, i think of it as a telephone.

[jordmundt6]

Yeah, but Amos was able to eat toast...wait a second. He couldn't move his head. Molly had to feed it to him with the fire tongs. It could be that this is different from a Floo thing, but it runs on the same or similar pathways as the Floo Network because Sirius had to break into a wizard house to use their fireplace.

[sylistra]

Is it ever specified.. if these 'floating heads' (that makes me laugh) are using Floo Powder to get there? I don't recall.

If not, they're most likely two different things that just run on a similar network, like jordmundt6 said.

[PhoenixUK]

The train would be needed even if the school was connected to the Floo Network as non-magic born students wouldn't be able to use it - Mr. Weasley says in GoF (p.44 eng. version) "Muggle fireplaces aren't meant to be connected, strictly speaking". Otherewise they could connect the fireplaces for 1st September only to allow students to travel there.

[jordmundt6]

They didn't specify Floo powder, just the network.

[Carbito]

I thought Floo could not be used to get in Hogwarts. Only used inside Hogwarts with no outside connection. However in the case of Siris leads me to believe that Hogsmede might be the only place connected to the Hogwarts Floo network...

[Rounded Buddha]

But what if you lived in Scotland? Then you'd have to travel all the way across the country to London, then go in the train all the way back to scotland. I suppose you could use floo powder to get to King's Cross

[Schlubalybub]

well, is Hogwarts for sure in Scotland? I imagined it was and thinking about it, its the only place it CAN be, with them flying over Peebles in CoS and all that! Anyway, they dont know for sure where Hogwarts is, so they have to travel to king's Cross to get the train.

They could have other stations, but JKR obviously didnt want it that way!

[Moonstone]

The train ride could also be, like the trip across the lake for first years, part of the tradition. Old institutions often value their traditions and continue them as part of the shared experience.

Can you imagine the logistical nightmare of having all of the students floo in to the castle? There would have to be staff stationed at all the fireplaces, arrivals might have to be staggered to avoid students all piling up in the fireplaces at the same time, etc. The train ride allows for a more simply controlled mass transportation of the student body. And there's just something about the image of a train rushing throught the countryside on a journey that is appealing (well, at least to me!)

[Rounded Buddha]

Originally posted by Schlubalybub (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=386095#post386095))
...they dont know for sure where Hogwarts is, so they have to travel to king's Cross to get the train.

They could have other stations, but JKR obviously didnt want it that way!


Good Point...:o

[Hinkypinker]

Originally posted by Carbito (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=385966#post385966))
I thought Floo could not be used to get in Hogwarts. Only used inside Hogwarts with no outside connection. However in the case of Siris leads me to believe that Hogsmede might be the only place connected to the Hogwarts Floo network...


Sirus has proved to be a very crafty and resourcful Wizard, even with out a Wand, Being a Maurader I'm sure he could have Figured out how to Hack into the Inter-Hogwarts Floo Netowork to talk to Harry.

Another Idea: House Elves or No, Hogwarts neeps alot of up-keep around the Grounds and such. Perhaps he found a House of Some one who WORKS at Hogwarts, so is therefore hooked into the Network.

[trev2023]

i liken the floo network and the floating head thing as kinda the ssame thing as telephones and the internet. they run on the same lines (for the most part) but they are completely separate ways of communication.

[gecko2]

Originally posted by Moonstone (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=386115#post386115))
Can you imagine the logistical nightmare of having all of the students floo in to the castle? There would have to be staff stationed at all the fireplaces, arrivals might have to be staggered to avoid students all piling up in the fireplaces at the same time, etc. The train ride allows for a more simply controlled mass transportation of the student body. And there's just something about the image of a train rushing throught the countryside on a journey that is appealing (well, at least to me!)



Well the could put a really bigass fireplace in kings cross, it'd still be faster probaly. But you are probaly right about tradition etc.

[Hinkypinker]

ACK!

I was just reading GoF in prep for the big Day tomorrow, and it dawned on me

Some Students Probably DO Floo into at least Hogsmede.

There are 1,000 Students at Hogwarts, Even Magically there is NO way they'd all fit on The Express!

[DarlingChild]

Here are my thoughts....

The reason why Lupin was able to come to Snape's office via floo powder (so we assume): There is a private floo network within the school, which connects all the school fireplaces, but none to the outside.

The reason why Sirius was able to speak to Harry with the crazy head-in-the-fire thing: We have absolutley no proof that he was using floo powder at all. His whole body wasn't transported, so I honestly don't think he was using floo powder, just some other way of communication through fireplaces. I don't see why some fireplaces outside Hogwarts wouldn't be allowed to be connected to this network, as you can't get into Hogwarts from it...just your head! :p

The reason why all students don't use floo powder to get to Hogwarts: Well...there are thousands of kids who attend Hogwarts. It would be really hard to coordinate them all to just the few accessable fireplaces. I dunno. The train just makes more sense to me. *shrug*

[Iwantbatteries]

It's a floo network firewall!

sorry couldn't aviod the pun. But I think that's basically what it is. certain ports(such as the one the floating heats use) are open, while others are restricted

[Euthrel]

yes exactly..
And If sirius could get in through the floo-network.. Then why didn´t he just use that way instead of ripping the painting in the third book?????

If the floo-network works like that.. Then Hogwarts isn´t secure at all...

((( But i guess that dumbledore had connected the Grimmauld place in to the security ))) ??

[gecko2]

well OOTP has brought alot of info on this.... though only soem can be discussed here without using spoilers...

We do now know that the head thing does use the Floo Network and Floo Powder, and you can go to outside places from Hogwarts on the Floo Network......

OOTP also brings up other questions about Wizard transportation I.E. portkeys..... they obviously work within Hogwarts.... thats really not much Harder the apparating, unless its a Hard skill only Dumbledore can do... (Sorry I got off topic there)

[harryton]

the floo network would be worth it.

it would take days for all of the students to go back home. and what about their lugage, they have a lot of things to take back home. plus when they land it hurts.

also, i dont think every home has a fireplace.:p

[flash8784]

This all made me think...do all the students get to King's Cross through platform 9 and 3/4? Cause if they do that's just as much of (if not MORE of) a logistical nightmare as using Floo powder to travel. Think, 1000 students trying to get through that barrier without attracting muggle attention. Makes me think there must be other ways.

[Hinkypinker]

didn't I already say that?

[Lord Thingy]

I think there are (at least) 2 ways to use the Floo network:

1) Transportation. We saw in COS that they used Floo powder to transport themselves to the Leaky Cauldron...

B. Communication. In GOF, Amos Diggory "Flooed" into the Weasleys' fireplace to call Arthur in to the Ministry.

I think that these 2 separate (though probably similar/overlapping) functions can be restricted independently. Unless I'm mistaken, we haven't seen anyone use the Floo network to enter or exit Hogwarts, only to communicate.

I also imagine that anyone who has a fireplace connected to the network may be able to limit it to "calls," thereby preventing people from trespassing when the houseowner isn't around.

[harryton]

in book 5, harry use floo powder to go to sirius house to talk to him and to see if he was there when he got that dream. We know that anybody can use floo powder to travel anywhere with a chimney. If students can do this, then they could use it to sneak into hogsmade and other places, such as diagon alley. isnt this a flaw in the network?

[pottersprincess143]

good point but maybe there's a possible spell on it to prevent students from doing that....

[tyro]

you could pick a million "what if's" if u want, i suppose maybe floo powder is commonplace in Hogwarts, god, i dont give a darn. Just sit back and enjoy the ride before its over man.

[Lord Thingy]

Hi Harryton,

The Floo Network is being discussed in this thread:

http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=11155&highlight=floo+network

The question on whether someone can floo in and out of Hogwarts is discussed here.

It's still in the Great Hall, so please no book 5 spoilers unless a Moderator moves the thread into this forum!

Also, for future new threads, use the search function at the top of the page, it helps us keep discussions all in one place per topic.

[tuvas]

Maybe you can only stick your head through, I mean, we haven't seen anyone actually make it all the way through yet in the schools network, have we?

[Cat]

Perhaps you can only use the Network to chat with people (the head thing) when you're in the castle. Oh, and to go to other rooms.

:D

[Phoenix_Fawkes]

The floo network is watched... so they would know if someone was sneaking around im sure!

[pottersprincess143]

Originally posted by tuvas (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?postid=441655#post441655))
Maybe you can only stick your head through, I mean, we haven't seen anyone actually make it all the way through yet in the schools network, have we?


floo powder was used in CoS to get to diagon alley...if you remember harry said it off and he ended up in knockturn alley

[Siriusly]

If Hogwarts is protected so people can't apparate on or off the grounds, I bet the Hogwarts floo network is protected the same way- otherwise why wouldn't all the students just floo themselves to school. Also wouldn't it have been safer to either have Sirius or Harry come out of the fire while having their discussions- since the floo network was being watched, just sitting right in it would attract more attention and increase the risk of getting caught rather than just going through, and then back again.

[Daveydee]

The floo network is regulated and monitored by The Department of Magical Transportation at the MoM. Only that department can add to or remove from the network.

If you remember, in GoF - Arthur Weasley asked for the Dursley's house to be temporarily added to the network in order that they could transport him to the Burrow for the QWC.

[IThinkNot]

We have to remember that this is a fictional world. Of course there will be flaws. It's a hell of a lot to remember. I am impressed there aren't more factual errors.

This is the world of flying broomsticks and cars. The mere concept of Floo Powder is enough to create mistakes.

In the end, does it really matter?

[Amadeus]

It would take forever to go through all the 'what if's'... in the Harry Potter book.. Chances are, if they are important enough to be discussed, JK will explain it in future books, if they are things that people come up with just to show that they found flaw in HP books, JK and others will ignore it... things like this one... I don't think it's THAT important to the plot.

[Alison]

If you don't enjoy finding little inconsistencies in the book, then trying to explain them, that's fine. For some people, like me, it makes it more fun.

In this case, yes I think the students could theoretically use the floo network to sneak out of school, but they would end up in someone's fireplace, so they would get caught for sure. You are right, though, it isn't normally watched so it could be done.

As for the Hogwarts express, it is much more orderly than having everyone use floo powder, and besides, all the luggage and everything...

[Prof.Blink]

i think it is definately possible for students to go to hogsmede etc via the floo network. the only people who would take such a risk would be fred and george , but of course they didn't really need to, they knew what the secret passages were. maybe no one else has tried.

also, the chimneys may only be in the teachers' offices, which would make them very difficult to get to without braking into one of them. i dont know about you but i certainly wouldnt want to take that risk.

having said that, hagrid has a chimney doesnt he? i suppose it wouldn't be that hard to use his!

oh.... i don't know.
hmmmm.....thats a good question!

[tuvas]

There's one in the Gryfandor common room, I would imagine it's the same way with all of the others. Hmmm.

[Nickel]

Random thought....

If all the fireplaces have to be registered at The Department of Magical Transportation, then was Sirius' house on there since his mother was alive? Wouldn't it have been taken off when noone lived in the house? Did Dumbledore somehow manage to reregister their fireplace?

[Jami]

Maybe they don't use Floo cause so many students come from muggle households.

[mdircat]

Professor Umbridge mentions that all the fireplaces at Hogwarts are being monitored by the MoM except the one in her office. If the fireplaces are part of the floo network then why do the students have to take the Hogwarts Express to school? I know you cannot apparate, etc inside the school grounds, but it is obvious, at least to me, that the students could use the floo network to get to school.

Just a question. Thank you for any responses to this question.

[HeLioS]

Hmmm...maybe the students aren't using the Floo Network to get to school because if something happens to them (ending up in the wrong grate) maybe it's the school's responsibility. Also if they ended up somewhere besides Hogwarts it may make things un-organized and hectic trying to get everyone to school:p

[Arunananth]

Maybe they close the fireplaces at summer so no one can come to Hogwarts at the summer. Just a guess.

[ssssalizar]

Maybe the don't want to dirty their clothes?

[otto lupin]

hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, how did the students get to the school then? Shurlly they did not go by train.

[Arunananth]

Good point, I never thought of that.

[phoenixsong]

I think of it as a yearly rite of passage, marking the transition between non-school time and school time, just as the passage across the lake for the first years is unnecessary, but it marks their entry into school.

but the logistical issues raised by HeLios are good as well!

even muggles set up special transportation to and from school for their children, even though, technically, they could all get there themselves.

[MorningGlory]

I'm not positive about the fact that the fireplaces in Hogwarts can be used for transportation. Hermione's always saying how the school has all these enchantments on it to protect it and how you can't use magic to get in or out.

And I think I remember something about Dumbledore using Thestrals to travel. Surely if Dumbledore were able to just jump in his fireplace and end up at the MoM whenever Fudge sent an owl he would, right?

In my opinion, the school fireplaces are solely for heat. However, at some point, someone may have figured out a way to use them at least for communications purposes (as Sirius does). But I don't think that its a common occurence in the school, otherwise people's heads would be spinning around in all the fireplaces all the time.

Besides: If the fireplaces could be used for travel, I'm sure that Fred and George would have found a way to make use of them!

[KrazzyKid]

I think the fireplaces are used for just heating, communication and cooking (hagrid makes tea using his fire... he's not allowed to use magic, remember?!?)

BUT, they can also be used for inter-school transportation... So they can use floo to get from one end of the castle to another. In book 3, Snape threw floo powder into his fire, and used it to communicate to Lupin. Then, Lupin came out of Snape's fire.

Maybe the fireplaces are used as a loudspeaker-thingie... Because there's no guarantee Lupin was in his office at the time. Maybe Snape's message went to every fire in the school... But then it would be noisy if everyone did that...

So basically, I dunno. Excuse my rambling.

[MorningGlory]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the Lupin thing. Maybe it is just inter-castle transportation. But most likely not used very often.

Good memory KrazzyKid!

[Neon Phoenix]

Maybe it's as simple as this: They can't fit their luggage. I can't imagine Harry being able to fit his trunk and Hedwig's cage all into the fireplace at once.

[Lord Thingy]

Hi mdircat,

There's a lot of talk about the Floo Network and why it's not used at Hogwarts for transportation in these threads:

The "Apparating at Hogwarts" thread has some talk of the Floo Network at Hogwarts:
http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=12373

The "Floo Network at Hogwarts" thread talks a lot about this, too:
http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=11155

Hope this helps, and :welcome: to the boards!

[wongclaire]

I think using trains was better...
It's hard to imagine...Hundreds of students came out of the
fireplaces at the same time.
Also, the school must consider the first-year-students,
especially those who came from Muggles'families.
They might not knew how to use Floo powder.

[phoenixsong]

Originally posted by wongclaire (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?postid=470129#post470129))
Also, the school must consider the first-year-students,
especially those who came from Muggles'families.
They might not knew how to use Floo powder.

EXCELLENT point, wongclaire!

Originally posted by Neon Phoenix (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?postid=470103#post470103))
Maybe it's as simple as this: They can't fit their luggage. I can't imagine Harry being able to fit his trunk and Hedwig's cage all into the fireplace at once.

And you, too, Neon Phoenix!

[MorningGlory]

Thank goodness for some logical explanations!

[jasper]

If kids floo'd in an out of Hogwarts, Harry would probably have noticed in his first year instead of knowing zip about it when he went to the Burrow the first time.
If floo worked as well as a telephone, the kids would be on there all the time. You'd never be able to get their heads out of the fire places. I think it must be really inconvenient and uncomfortable to talk to people that way (and travel that way) Harry gripes about it when he uses floo powder. They must not do it much because it is no fun.

[draconis]

Beside trunks, et cetera, what about animals? I mean, it would be rather difficult to get a cat like Crookshanks or a forever-escaping toad like Trevor ;) to travel by the floo-network ...

... also, perhaps Hogwarts or certain hogwarts fireplaces are on the floo/floo-head network and the students just don't know about it like all of the secret passages. They just may assume that they can't use them for such purposes ... (just a thought) ...

[FredWeasleyJr]

i couldnt find another thread for this but i have a question...

How come Sirius (at 12 Grimmauld Place) is connected to the Floo Network...it wouldnt make sense for the Ministry to know someone is going there with no resident there

[emerald eyes]

I would think that having to coordinate all the students coming into the school would be very chaotic. It's one thing to do at the Ministry of Magic because they have rows of fireplaces and not quite the amount of traffic. But they also have people always coming and going at the MoM.

I'm sure Hogwarts has tons of fireplaces but even so it just seems like it would get messy. Look at what happened to Harry the first time he used Floo powder. Could you imagine first time students, especially Muggle ones? Could you imagine all the commotion of bringing all your belongings and pets that way. And with first years, there might be parents that want to come and what a fiasco it would turn into.

It also seems like while Hogwarts is connected to the Floo Network there has to be "firewalls" in place to keep just anyone from entering it from just anywhere.

I think the train is the best idea. It helps get the brand new students adjusted by letting them have some time to meet a few new friends, it lets old friends catch up and helps to build up the excitment that you feel about returning. What's so great about just walking through the fire and you're there right away? And if they all used the Floo to go, then really they might as well just go back and forth to home every day if its that easy. What would be the point of the dorms?

[Striker]

its all the problem of transportation, and the floo network has only been seen transporting people/their heads, not luggage/cages/animals. you saw the same problem with the QWC,(how to pack 100k wizards whom have tickets?), but your not talking about masses in numbers, its the luggage thats the poroblem, and thats what 9&3/4was build for, people burdened wit luggage, because floo is not suited for the task of carring (the rapid spinning, or the fact that you cant speak english very well, so you say Ogwarts, and end up in some inn? not reliable at all)

[Mundungus Fletc]

Striker wrote
its all the problem of transportation, and the floo network has only been seen transporting people/their heads, not luggage/cages/animals.
In GoF Fred and George take Harry's trunk from Privet Drive to the Burrow by floo powder. And if they can do that presumably animals could go as well. As to the practicalities I can't see how two people and a trunk can fit into a normal fireplace but it doesn't bother me because it's magic.

The books would somehow be less without the Hogwarts Express because it's such a perfect introduction to the closed world of the boarding school

[filius]

If all the students used the floo network, wouldn't the fire places be a bit cramped? Also, the students will have to change first before they get to the feast. Anyone of the students can just leave and go home too when ever they want. The train is also a place for the students to catch up.

[ramones]

I think that the students take the train to school:
1)As someone already said, it connects the Muggle world/home - Wizarding/School world
2)It's a way of socializing
3)Can you imagine the muggle born first years traveling by Floo powder?

But I don't understand how the Floo network works at Hogwarts and other places.
Hogwarts is heavily protected, you can't Apparate and you wouldn't want anybody to just be able to show up at the school. And of course you wouldn't want the students to leave the school. I think that Hogwart's network is protect and controlled.
The rest of the network is probably under control too. Otherwise some random stranger can just show up at your house!
And why would you just put your head in the fire and not just leave with your entire body? Maybe you have to be 'invited' or something.
I sure hope we can find answers to our questions in the next books.

[miri]

I always thought that the Floo transportation and talking-head communication were totally different, until Umbridge started reaching around in the fire, trying to grab Sirius...

You probably need to have both fireplaces connected to the Floo network to do the talking-heads thing, but (like Iwantbatteries said) there's some sort of "firewall" system that prevents people from flooing to Hogwarts from outside of it.

I think we need to know a little bit more about the floo network, so we understand the concept of monitoring it a bit better.

flash8784, there's been a lot of debate as to whether or not there really are 1000 students at Hogwarts. That would be about 250 students per house. Split over 7 years, that would mean there would be about 35 students per house per year. Most counts put that figure considerably closer to 10... And would you really try to teach 70 11 year olds how to fly, in the same class? I know in the UK people frequently state that class sizes of 30 are larger than desirable...

[Scarlet Tears]

I agree with the idea that the Floo Network at Hogwarts is separate from the Floo Network in the outside world for transportation purposes. It would have been so much easier for Harry to have used the fireplace to transport his entire body to Number 12 Grimmauld Place and look around the house for Sirius instead of having to rely on Kreacher's statement that no one else was there. Perhaps there is a similar system that runs alongside the transportation Floo Network that is used only for communicating, and while the transportation Network is not connected to the outside world, the communication one is.

It just seems too easy for someone to sneak into Hogwarts if it was possible to transport oneself through the Floo Network, and Hermione has told us that there are all sorts of enchantments protecting the school from unwanted intruders. So it would make a lot more sense if there were two different types of Networks for different purposes, but they both use Floo Powder.

[prongfoot]

The luggage/cages/animals is a good point that I hadn't thought about and also the security problem i.e. people coming in that aren't supposed to. I think that they had some sort of complicated charm or spell to allow only people to have their head transported and not have the whole body travel the floo network. They are the best magic school in England and are one of the most secure places in the world so they probabaly have some coplicated spell on their fire places.

I also agree with the idea of Hog warts having it's own floo network too. I definetly agree with Scarlet Tears.

[HeirOfRavenclaw]

Most points have been brought up already, but I think the most important is that, unless there was some kind of restriction on the use of the head teleportation, kids would be having conversations with their parents in the fire all the time, or their friends in other houses.

[ramones]

I know this isn't mentioned anywhere in the books, but maybe students aren't allowed to have Floo Powder and the parents know better than to talk to their children that way.

[Gwenog Jones]

If students used floo poweder instead of travelling by the train, anyone could come into Hogwarts. There would be so much confusion on September 1st that no one would notice if someone dangerous came in. I think that you can only communicate through them, like Harry and Sirius did with just their heads, not travel through it.

[Liv4Sirius]

For first years, I think the Floo network is way complicated and how are they going to get the powder? And also, Ithink that would cause a bit of a jam with all the fireplaces. Esp. if like 20 people decided to go through the same fireplace at once.

[pasalita]

Quick note: Members have begun to introduce this theory/query in both the Why Didn't Harry Enter Number 12 Grimmauld Place? (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=30039) thread and the Why is 12 Grimmauld Place on the Floo Network? (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=29977) thread. Should discussion in either of these three threads begin to refer to each other at length, the threads will be merged into this thread.

[OhhhMacadamia]

Yeah, but Amos was able to eat toast...wait a second. He couldn't move his head. Molly had to feed it to him with the fire tongs. It could be that this is different from a Floo thing, but it runs on the same or similar pathways as the Floo Network because Sirius had to break into a wizard house to use their fireplace.

I think only head flooing is possible into or out of Hogwarts. This follows the entire idea of the Anti-Apparition spells cast about Hogwarts. Head flooing would cause no danger, no matter who does it, as we see Mr. Diggory unable to move his head in the fire.

As for Lupin coming out of Snape's fire, I think that was a different kind of floo powder or magic, that the teachers are able to use to summon other teachers.

[petruchio]

OhhhMacademia, there are plenty of reasons to suggest that you are exactly right that the Floo Network is restricted only to Head-Flooing at Hogwarts. We already know about the other restrictions of travel in place around the school (that is, anti-Muggle charms, anti-apparition warding charms, Unplottable, etc.); it may be that, for reasons of brevity, Jo just hasn't mentioned this in print yet.

The other side of this is, who would have told us? Answer: Hermione. If you think about it, all of the other protection charms we've heard about so far have come from Hermione, through her vast knowledge of Hogwarts: A History. ("Well, if you'd only read it. Honestly.") And she doesn't (or hasn't) travel by Floo Powder very often; Harry has much more experience with this than she does. Might make a difference, I don't know.

BTW, :welcome: to the boards!!!

[anabel]

The main reason that students arrive on the Hogwarts Express is quite simply because that was the very first thing JKR invented. She was, as we all know, on a train herself when the idea popped into her head: "boy on train to wizard school, doesn't know he is a wizard". It all developed from that.

Also the magical elements of the Potterverse are introduced gradually, one by one, with Floo powder in CoS, followed by the Knight Bus in PoA and Portkeys in GoF, etc, It would be too much to swallow if it all came in the first few chapters.

Otherwise, there are loads of good ideas on this thread. Hogwarts is protected by many ancient spells and a security system on the Floo network must be one of them. I'm just not sure exactly how it works!

[scouse_7]

Well ya know the hogwarts floo network when Umbridge was there and her fireplace weren't protected,and Malfoy knew about this.Couldn't of he told his dad who told the other deatheaters and Voldmort and they could of attacked hogwarts through there?

[ArtemisiaDax]

Well ya know the hogwarts floo network when Umbridge was there and her fireplace weren't protected,and Malfoy knew about this.Couldn't of he told his dad who told the other deatheaters and Voldmort and they could of attacked hogwarts through there?
I do think that Floo powder at Hogwarts tends to be restricted to either Head-Flooing or Flooing through the castle (not to outside points.)
Remember, throughout OotP, Voldemort doesn't want the world to know he's back. So even if he could, he wouldn't have attacked Hogwarts through the fireplace. After all, an attack on Hogwarts with Death Eaters would be HUGE news, impossible to cover up.

[kingwidgit]

I do think that Floo powder at Hogwarts tends to be restricted to either Head-Flooing or Flooing through the castle (not to outside points.)
Remember, throughout OotP, Voldemort doesn't want the world to know he's back. So even if he could, he wouldn't have attacked Hogwarts through the fireplace. After all, an attack on Hogwarts with Death Eaters would be HUGE news, impossible to cover up.
Yeah, I agree the fires would be restricted. Dumbledore did use the Floo Network to return to the fireplace in his office, but the office had been magically sealed against intruders, and even Harry couldn't get out of the office. But he also used a spell to create a portkey to take Harry back.
The books pound you over the head with the fact that you can't apparate or disapparate inside Hogwart's or the grounds, the exception being certain creatures, such as house-elves and phoenixes, and possibly Diricawls (FBaWtFT), that have the ability to appear and disappear at will, with their own brand of magic.
I would be more concerned with a creature--like Kreacher, using his ability to appear or disappear, to get into Hogwarts. Can the power that house-elves and phoenixes have be extended to people who are in direct contact with them? I don't know, but... What did Dumbledore do in OoP? The Centaur and the Sneak, AM. ED.
Dumbledore released Harry, raised his hand, and grasped the phoenix's long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair of them had gone.
Not 'flew out the window', but flash of fire and they were gone. Hmmm....sounds like they apparated doesn't it? But if it was that easy, why didn't Fawkes [in CoS] just disapparate and apparate into the girl's bathroom, instead of flying up the pipe? :huh: Argh....getting a headache!