Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Magical Fireplaces====== =====Object Information===== * **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). =====Description and Appearance===== 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]]. =====Magical Properties and Usage===== 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:** - To travel, a [[witch]] or [[wizard]] takes a pinch of [[Floo Powder]] and throws it into a lit fire. - The flames instantly turn a brilliant emerald green and become harmless to the touch. - The traveler must step into the flames and state their intended destination clearly and concisely. - 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. - 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:** - 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. - Their head will then appear, floating at head-height, in the fireplace of their destination, allowing them to see, speak, and be heard. - 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. =====History===== 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]]. =====Role in the Story===== 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. =====Behind the Scenes===== * 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 [[Sickle]]s a scoop (Pottermore).
