Summary
Just like Muggles who traveled through air, land, and sea, the magical community ofHarry Potteralso has several means of transportation. Many use enchanted items and vehicles for their journey, but they can also ride magical creatures or even teleport using some magical tools.
InHarry Potter, the further the location of arrival, the more complex the tool is, as one even needs a license to use certain transportation. Just like muggles who need a license to drive a vehicle, legality is needed to ensure safety and security. One fast, yet risky mode of transportation may cause a separation of body parts if not done properly.
7Broomstick
The Old-Fashion Way
Riding a broomstick for the magical community is one of the earliest skills one acquires when starting a wizard’s education in a magical school like Hogwarts. A Broomstick is arguably equivalent to riding a muggle bike, as it does not need a license, although it does need balance and to completely focus on the ride.
Flying with broomsticks is also used in sports,such as in Quidditch gamesand broom racing. In the muggle world, flying with broomsticks is also one of the most popular stereotypes of witches and wizards since ages ago, which happened to also be used in the Harry Potter universe.
6Knight Bus
For Stranded Witches And Wizards
Traveling by ground is also used for the magical community ofHarry Potter, especially those who are residing in muggle-populated areas. The wizards and witches who are stranded or lost, or having some type of issue, might raise their wand to command the bus.
As depicted inHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry raised his wand while standing face to face withSirius Black who was in his animagus form, accidentally calling the bus to come. The Knight Bus looks like any normal double-decker bus, but it possesses magical abilities to pass through muggle vehicles without being seen.
5Floo Network
Traveling Through Chimneys
Apparently, it is not only Santa Claus who takes advantage of chimneys but wizards and witches use them as a means of transportation. The Floo network allows wizards to travel from one place to another that shares a connection in the form of a chimney.
To travel, one has to obtain a Floo powder in hand, pronouncing the desired location – with said connection – and poof! There they are. However, it is important to clearly say the name of the location, or else one might arrive in the wrong place. Just look at how Harry Potter ended up in Knockturn Alley, a dodgy and risky place, instead of inhis intended location of Diagon Alley.
4Portkey
Bewitched Mundane Items
Who would have thought wizards and witches could be transported through socks, shoes, or other miscellaneous household items? Portkeys are one unique way of traveling as they are made up of bewitched mundane items that allow travelers to teleport into another location. This means of transportation, although fun, is quite risky as one might accidentally touch it and be sent to another place out of their will.
There are a few instances where muggles accidentally touch a Portkey and are transported to another location without their knowledge. Another dangerous example is how Harry Potter andCedric Diggory are transportedinto the Little Hangleton Graveyard, as the Triwizard Cup is turned into a Portkey by Barty Crouch Jr.
3Apparition
Dangerous Yet Fast
Apparition is a form of teleportation magic that allows users to travel long distances in less time without enchanted items, magical creatures, and other means of transportation. Although fast, it is considered one of the riskiest transportation modes in theHarry Potteruniverse.
Apparating with a lack of skillmight cause splinching, causing body parts to be wounded or worse, separated from each other. To apparate, the Ministry of Magic requires citizens to have a license that they obtain through classes. Hogwarts is one of the places that offer apparition classes, teaching students how to apparate properly and safely.
2Magical Creatures
Especially Huge Ones
Another means of transportation is by flying with dragons, hippogriffs, thestrals, and so on. Using magical creatures for travel means said creatures have to be big enough to carry a human – or even more than one – depending on the passengers. Also, traveling with them requires a great deal of knowledge of the creatures, as they might be hard to control and unpredictable.
There are many instances of traveling with magical creatures in the Harry Potter universe,and riding a dragonis considered to be the hardest one. Dragons are highly complicated creatures and truly tricky to handle, as riding on them needs perseverance and bravery.
1Enchanted Vehicles
Technically Illegal Due To Muggles Exposure
There are many instances where wizards and witches modified muggles' vehicles into magic ones, such as the Weasleys’ Ford Anglia Flying Car, Rubeus Hagrid’s Motorcycle, and so on. However, these vehicles are considered as “Enchanted Muggle Artifacts” by the Ministry of Magic, and therefore illegal. It falls under the law of “Misuse of Muggle Artifacts”, as the items used mostly came from muggles common brands for vehicles.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,the muggles who saw the Weasleys’flying car fall into a deep shock, as reported in the Daily Prophet. Although illegal, it cannot be denied that this specific means of transportation is one of the coolest ways of traveling.
