Magical Fireplaces

• Type: Transportation, Communication
• Owners: While individual fireplaces are owned by the inhabitants of a dwelling, the system connecting them, the Floo Network, is regulated by the Ministry of Magic, specifically the Department of Magical Transportation.
• Maker: The method to enchant fireplaces for this use, Floo Powder, was invented by Ignatia Wildsmith in the thirteenth century (Pottermore).

Magical fireplaces are, in appearance, largely indistinguishable from their non-magical Muggle counterparts. They are typically constructed from brick or stone and feature a hearth and mantelpiece. They exist in various sizes, from the large, welcoming fireplace in the Weasley kitchen at The Burrow to the numerous grand fireplaces lining the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Their magical properties are not inherent but are activated by a specific magical substance. A fireplace must be officially connected to the Floo Network to function as a magical portal. Unconnected fireplaces, such as the electric one at Number Four, Privet Drive, cannot be used for Floo travel, as the Weasley family discovered when they had to blast it open to retrieve Harry Potter.

The primary function of a magical fireplace is to serve as an entry and exit point for the Floo Network. This allows for two main uses: transportation and communication.

• Transportation:
  1. To travel, a witch or wizard takes a pinch of Floo Powder and throws it into a lit fire.
  2. The flames instantly turn a brilliant emerald green and become harmless to the touch.
  3. The traveler must step into the flames and state their intended destination clearly and concisely.
  4. They are then whisked away in a dizzying spin, catching glimpses of other fireplaces as they pass by, until they are deposited at their destination.
  5. Articulation is critical; when Harry Potter first used the network, a mouthful of ash caused him to mispronounce “Diagon Alley” and land in Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley instead.
• Communication:
  1. Fireplaces can also be used for head-only communication. A user can kneel before a connected fireplace, throw in Floo Powder, and place their head into the emerald flames.
  2. Their head will then appear, floating at head-height, in the fireplace of their destination, allowing them to see, speak, and be heard.
  3. This method is used frequently throughout the series, notably by Sirius Black to speak with Harry from his confinement at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and by Amos Diggory to speak with Arthur Weasley about Mad-Eye Moody.

The Floo Network is subject to strict regulation by the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry can monitor and control which fireplaces are connected. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dolores Umbridge places all fireplaces at Hogwarts under surveillance, except for the one in her own office, to prevent unauthorized communication.

The invention of Floo Powder in the thirteenth century revolutionized wizarding travel (Pottermore). It provided a secure, indoor method of transportation that was unaffected by weather and much faster than traveling by broomstick for all but the shortest distances. The Ministry of Magic established the Floo Network to connect and regulate these magical thoroughfares, ensuring the safety and secrecy of the wizarding community. A registry of all connected fireplaces is maintained by the Department of Magical Transportation.

Fireplaces are central to many key moments in the series, serving as conduits for crucial introductions, secret communications, and dramatic entrances and escapes.

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Harry's first journey via the Floo Network goes awry, leading him to Knockturn Alley. This event provides his first direct exposure to the darker side of the magical world and allows him to overhear a clandestine conversation involving Lucius Malfoy.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The fireplace in the Gryffindor common room becomes a vital, albeit risky, link between Harry and his godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius uses it to offer guidance about the Triwizard Tournament, with their conversations often being precariously interrupted.
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Floo Network's security is a major plot point. Dolores Umbridge's surveillance of the Hogwarts fireplaces forces Harry and his friends to use her office fire to contact Sirius Black, an act which ultimately leads them into a trap at the Department of Mysteries. The Order of the Phoenix also uses the fireplace at Grimmauld Place for secure meetings.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger use the Floo Network to escape the Ministry of Magic after retrieving Salazar Slytherin's Locket, demonstrating its use as an effective escape route.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sirius's appearance in the Gryffindor fire is depicted as a face formed from embers and ash, rather than his actual head appearing fully in the green flames as described in the novel.
• The Pottermore website (now Wizarding World) provided the backstory for the Floo Network, including the name of its inventor, Ignatia Wildsmith (1227-1320), and the fact that the price of Floo Powder has remained constant for a century at two Sickles a scoop (Pottermore).