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[[File:Harryfloonetwork.png|thumb|209px|[[Harry Potter]] travelling by [[Floo powder]] for the first time]]
  
  +
[[File:Floo Network OOTP.gif|250px|thumb|right|[[British Ministry of Magic]] employees using the Floo Network]]
  +
{{Quote|In use for centuries, the Floo Network, while somewhat uncomfortable, has many advantages. Firstly, unlike broomsticks, the Network can be used without fear of breaking the International Statute of Secrecy. Secondly, unlike Apparition, there is little to no danger of serious injury. Thirdly, it can be used to transport children, the elderly and the infirm.|Description|Pottermore}}
  ⚫
The '''Floo Network''' was a mode of [[Magical transportation|wizarding transportation]] in which a [[Wizardkind|witch or wizard]] went from one place to another by means of [[Floo powder]] and a fireplace. Many fireplaces were connected in the Floo Network, and the traveller needed only speak the location of the desired fireplace at which they wished to arrive very clearly as they stood in the emerald green [[Fire|flames]].
   
  +
Although generally reliable, mistakes could happen. Speaking the name of the destination loudly and clearly upon entering the Floo flames was sometimes difficult, due to ash, heat and panic.<ref name="PM"/> The Head of the [[Department of Magical Transportation]], and therefore the man that the [[Floo Network Authority]] reported to, was [[Percy Weasley]] by [[2014]].
⚫
The '''Floo Network''' is a mode of transportation in the [[wizarding world]] in which a [[Wizardkind|witch or wizard]] goes from one place to another by means of [[Floo powder]] and a fireplace. Many fireplaces are connected in the Floo Network, and the traveller need only speak the desired fireplace they wish to arrive at very clearly as they stand in the emerald green [[Fire|flames]].
  
   
  +
==History==
⚫
The network governed by the [[Floo Network Authority]], a section of the [[Department of Magical Transportation]] of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]. This department is located on Level Six of the Ministry. The Floo Network Authority controls which fireplaces are connected to the Floo Network, which requires specialized magic. Travelling by way of the Floo Network can be done without specialised [[magic]], and can be preferable for wizards too young to [[Apparition|Apparate]] or those without access to other forms of transportation, such as [[broomsticks]].
  
  +
The Floo Network was in use for centuries. The most notorious instance of accidental misdirection regarding the Floo Network happened in 1855 when, after a particularly nasty row with her husband, witch [[Violet Tillyman]] leapt into the living room fire and cried, between sobs and hiccups, that she wanted to go to her mother’s house.<ref name="PM">{{WW|floo-powder}}</ref>
   
  +
Several weeks later, with no clean pots in the house and his socks in urgent need of washing, her husband [[Albert Tillyman|Albert]] decided that it was time she came home, and took the Floo Network to his mother-in-law's. To his surprise, she claimed that Violet had never arrived. Albert, a suspicious man and a bit of a bully, raged, stormed and searched the house, but his mother-in-law appeared to be telling the truth. A poster campaign and a series of articles in the ''[[Daily Prophet]]'' later, Violet had still not been found. Nobody seemed to know where she was and nobody had seen her come out of any other fireplace.<ref name="PM"/>
⚫
==Description==
  
⚫
===Body transport===
  
−
[[File:Bella Flooing.jpg|thumb|right|280px|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] using the Floo Network to escape the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]].]]
  
   
  +
For several months after her disappearance, many people were afraid to take the Floo Network, in case it simply vanished them into thin air. However, time passed, memories of Violet faded, and nobody else disappeared, so the Floo Network usage continued on as usual. Albert Tillyman returned grumpily to his house, learned cleaning and darning spells, and never used the Floo Network again for fear of what it had done to his wife.<ref name="PM" />
⚫
This network connects all wizarding fireplaces that utilise [[Floo powder]] as a mode of transportation. [[Muggle]] homes are not connected to the Floo Network unless special, temporary arrangements are made, which do not require that the Authority visit the location. The connection can be made from the Ministry of Magic.
  
   
  +
It was not until twenty years later, after Albert’s death, that Violet Tillyman resurfaced. Due to the incoherent way she had spoken when she had entered the Floo Network, she had not emerged from her mother’s fireplace, but that of [[Myron Otherhaus]], a handsome wizard who lived in [[Bury St Edmunds]]. Despite Violet’s tear-stained, ash-covered and blotchy appearance, it had been love at first sight when she toppled out of his fire, and Myron, Violet, and their seven children lived happily ever after.<ref name="PM" />
⚫
To access the network, one must toss a handful of Floo Powder into a fireplace, walk into the heatless, emerald green fire, and declare the desired destination. It is apparently also important for the traveller to keep their elbows close to their body. During the trip, the traveller will notice other fireplaces and hearths zooming past, but it is not possible for the traveller to see these locations clearly as the speed of travel is too great.
  
   
  +
Officials apologised for Southern Floo Network congestion in ''[[The New York Ghost]]'' in [[1926]].<ref name="FBF">{{see image|File:Fantastic-beasts-movie-screencaps_com-44.jpg}}</ref>
⚫
===Head-only transport===
  
⚫
[[File:Sirius_fire.jpg|thumb|left|184px|Sirius Black communicating through the Floo Network when there are coals in the fire]]
  
−
[[File:Siriushead.png|thumb|Sirius Black communicating through the fire when there are flames in it]]
  
⚫
One may also use the Floo Network to speak to someone in another location by merely putting their head through the green fire, as Sirius Black did to talk to Harry in latter's fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts. The Floo Network can also be used to transport inanimate objects. For example: In [[1994]], Molly Weasley used the fire tongs to put a piece of toast into Amos Diggory's mouth while he was talking to Arthur Weasley via the Floo Network after the Quidditch World Cup incident.<ref name=GOF>''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''</ref>
  
   
  +
When [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eaters]] [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic|took over]] the [[British Ministry of Magic]], they imposed a new regulation that only senior-ranked Ministry employees were allowed to travel to the Ministry via the Floo Network or [[Apparition]]; all others had to use the [[Whitehall underground public toilets]] entryway to get there. This was immediately repealed once Voldemort was [[Voldemort's Last Stand|killed]].
⚫
As Sirius Black could use the fire to talk to Harry in fourth and fifth year, but in Harry's sixth year, a special arrangement had to be made from the Ministry to enable students to arrive at Hogwarts, it seems that head-only transport is possible even if human transportation is not. Otherwise, intruders, including Sirius Black, could simply use the fire in the common room to circumvent the castle's defences.
  
   
  +
==Regulation and usage==
−
==Appearances==
  
  +
{{Quote|Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly —|[[Molly Weasley]] explaining the vastness of the Floo Network|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
⚫
[[File:Diagonally.gif|thumb|270px|Harry uses the Floo Network for the first time to go to [[Diagon Alley]] in [[1992]].]]
  
  +
[[File:DMT clear.png|200px|thumb|left|The [[Department of Magical Transportation]] oversaw the Floo Network]]
⚫
*[[Harry Potter]] first travelled via the Floo Network in [[1992]] when he journeyed from [[The Burrow]] to [[London]]. However, instead of saying "[[Diagon Alley]]", Harry was nervous and said "diagonally". Therefore he accidentally ended up at [[Borgin and Burkes]] in [[Knockturn Alley]].
  
  ⚫
The British network was governed by the [[Floo Network Authority]], a section of the Department of Magical Transportation of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]. This department was located on Level Six of the Ministry. The Floo Network Authority controlled which fireplaces were connected to the Floo Network, which required specialised [[magic]]. Travelling by way of the Floo Network could be done [[Wandless magic|without specialised magic]], and could be preferable for wizards too young to [[Apparition|Apparate]] or those without access to other forms of transportation, such as [[broomstick]]s. The Floo Network could also be used to transport underage children, the elderly, and the infirm.
   
  +
Nearly every wizarding home had a fireplace that was connected to the Floo Network. While a fireplace could be disconnected by the use of a simple spell, connection required the approval of the [[Ministry of Magic]], which regulated the Floo Network and prevented [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] fireplaces from becoming inadvertently joined up (although temporary connections could be arranged in emergencies).
⚫
*In [[1994]], the Floo Network was temporarily connected to the Dursley's, as a favour to Arthur Weasley, so that he could transport Harry back to the burrow in preparation of the upcoming trip to the 1994 Quidditch World Cup that Harry would be attending with the Weasleys and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]].
  
   
  +
In addition to domestic fireplaces, there were over a thousand fireplaces across Britain connected to the Floo Network, including those at the Ministry of Magic and various wizarding shops and inns. The fireplaces of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] were not generally connected, although there were some occasions when one or more had been tampered with, often without the [[Professor|staff]]'s knowledge.
⚫
*In [[1996]], Harry used the Floo Network connection in [[Dolores Umbridge]]'s office to contact [[Sirius Black]] at [[12 Grimmauld Place]], as her fireplace was one of the only ones not being monitored. Harry attempted to contact Sirius a second time on [[17 June]], but was caught by Umbridge while speaking to [[Kreacher]].
  
   
  +
In [[United States of America|America]], the Floo Network was regulated by the [[Magical Congress of the United States of America]] and appeared to be divided into regions, as ''[[The New York Ghost]]'' mentioned the "''Southern Floo Network''".
⚫
*At the end of the Christmas holidays in Harry's [[1996–1997 school year|sixth year]] at Hogwarts, numerous students including Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys, used the Floo Network to travel back to Hogwarts.
  
   
  ⚫
==Description==
⚫
*In [[1997]], when the Ministry was overthrown by [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], only the homes and offices of senior Ministry officials were connected to the Network.
  
  ⚫
===Body transport===
  +
{{Quote|It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant drain. He seemed to be spinning very fast — the roaring in his ears was deafening — he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick — something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly, still spinning and spinning — now it felt as though cold hand were slapping his face — squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond — his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him — he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then… He fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt the bridge of his glasses snap.|[[Harry Potter]] using the Floo Network for the first time|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
  ⚫
[[File:Diagonally.gif|250px|thumb|right|Harry Potter using the Floo Network to transport himself to [[Diagon Alley]]]]
  ⚫
This network connected all wizarding fireplaces that utilised [[Floo Powder]] as a mode of transportation. [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] homes were ''not'' connected to the Floo Network unless special, temporary arrangements were made, which did not require the Authority to visit the location, as the connection could simply be made directly from the Ministry of Magic.
   
  ⚫
To access the network, one had to toss a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace, walk into the heatless, emerald green fire, and declare the desired destination. It was apparently also important for the traveller to keep their elbows close to their body. During the trip, the traveller would notice other fireplaces and hearths zooming past, but it was impossible for the traveller to see these locations clearly, as the speed of travel was too great.
⚫
==Known Floo Network connections==
  
  +
⚫
*[[Diagon Alley]]
  
  ⚫
===Head-only transport===
⚫
**The [[Leaky Cauldron]]
  
  +
{{Quote|Amos Diggory's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.|Amos Diggory using the Floo to transport his head when talking to [[Arthur Weasley]]|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
−
*[[Knockturn Alley]]
  
  ⚫
[[File:Sirius fire.gif|250px|thumb|left|Sirius Black communicating to Harry Potter through the fire when there were flames in it]]
⚫
**[[Borgin and Burkes]]
  
  ⚫
It was also possible to use the Floo Network to speak to someone in another location by merely putting their head through the green fire, as [[Sirius Black]] did to talk to Harry in the latter's fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts. The Floo Network could also be used to transport inanimate objects. For example: In [[1994]], [[Molly Weasley]] used the fire tongs to put a piece of toast into [[Amos Diggory]]'s mouth while he was talking to Arthur Weasley via the Floo Network after the [[Reappearance of the Dark Mark|Quidditch World Cup incident]].<ref name="GOF11">{{GOF|B|11}}</ref>
⚫
*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
  
  +
−
**[[Gryffindor]] [[Gryffindor Tower|Common Room]]
  
  ⚫
As Sirius Black could use the fire to talk to Harry in the fourth and fifth years, but in Harry's sixth year, a special arrangement had to be made from the Ministry to enable students to arrive at Hogwarts, it seems that head-only transport was possible even if full human transportation was not. Otherwise, intruders, including Sirius Black, could simply use the fire in the common room to circumvent the castle's defences.
⚫
**[[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] [[Professor]]'s [[Defence Against the Dark Arts professor's office|office]]
  
  +
⚫
**[[Transfiguration]] [[Professor]]'s office
  
  +
==Known uses==
⚫
**Head of [[Slytherin]]'s office
  
  +
{{Quote|He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames. With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, ''“Diagon Alley!”'' and vanished.|[[Fred Weasley]] travelling to Diagon Alley using the Floo|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
−
**[[Dolores Umbridge]]'s office (temporarily)
  
  +
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
⚫
**[[Hogwarts kitchen]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
*[[The Burrow]]
  
  +
! scope="col" |Wizard(s)
⚫
*[[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]
  
  +
! scope="col" |Notes
⚫
**[[Atrium]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
*[[Little Whinging]]
  
  +
|[[Eulalie Hicks]] and [[Jacob Kowalski]] (a [[Non-magic people|Muggle]])
⚫
**[[4 Privet Drive]] (temporarily)
  
  +
|Used the Floo Network to enter The [[Great Wizarding Express]] in [[1932]] through the train's fireplace, to meet up with [[Dumbledore's first army]].<ref name="SOD">{{SOD}}</ref>
−
*[[London]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
**[[Prime Minister's office|10 Downing Street]]
  
  +
|[[Jacob's sibling]] and friend
−
**[[12 Grimmauld Place]]
  
  +
| Used the fireplace in the [[Headmaster's office]] to access [[Diagon Alley]], specifically so they could reach [[Knockturn Alley]], with [[Patricia Rakepick]]'s asssistance.<ref name="HM510">{{HM|5|10}}</ref>
  +
[[File:Floo Network HM510.png|250px|thumb|right]]
  +
|-
  +
|Jacob's sibling
  +
|Used the fireplace in the [[Three Broomsticks Inn]] to access the [[British Ministry of Magic]] via the Floo Network.<ref name="HM74">{{HM|7|4}}</ref>
  +
[[File:Floo powder in the Three Broomsticks Inn HM74.png|250px|thumb|right]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Harry Potter]]
  ⚫
|First travelled via the Floo Network in [[1992]] when he journeyed from [[The Burrow]] to [[London]]. However, Harry choked in the flames while saying "[[Diagon Alley]]". Therefore he accidentally ended up at [[Borgin and Burkes]] in [[Knockturn Alley]], the alley infamous for the [[Dark Arts]].<ref name="COS4">{{COS|B|4}}</ref>
  +
[[File:Harry Potter using Floo powder.gif|250px|thumb|right]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Arthur Weasley]]
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="3" |
  ⚫
In [[1994]], the Floo Network was temporarily connected to the Dursleys', as a favour to Arthur Weasley, so that he could transport Harry back to the Burrow in preparation of the upcoming trip to the [[1994 Quidditch World Cup]] that Harry would be attending with the [[Weasley family]] and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]]. The Dursleys, however, had an [[electric fire]] and Arthur Weasley had to blast open the fireplace to get out because he was stuck in there with Ron, Fred, and George.<ref name="GOF4">{{GOF|B|4}}</ref>
  +
[[File:B4C4M1 Weasleys bursting through 4 Privet Drive fireplace.png|250px|thumb|right]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Fred Weasley|Fred]] and [[George Weasley]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Harry Potter]]
  ⚫
|In [[1996]], Harry used the Floo Network connection in [[Dolores Umbridge]]'s office to contact [[Sirius Black]] at [[12 Grimmauld Place]], as her fireplace was one of the only ones not being monitored.<ref name="OOTP29">{{OOTP|B|29}}</ref> Harry attempted to contact Sirius a second time on [[17 June]], but was caught by Umbridge while speaking to [[Kreacher]].<ref name="OOTP32">{{OOTP|B|32}}</ref>
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] students
  ⚫
|At the end of the Christmas holidays in Harry's [[1996–1997 school year|sixth year]] at Hogwarts, numerous students including Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys used the Floo Network to travel back to Hogwarts.<ref name="HBP17">{{HBP|B|17}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry]] officials
  ⚫
|In [[1997]], when the Ministry was overthrown by [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], only the fireplaces in the homes and offices of senior Ministry officials were connected to the Network.<ref name="DH12">{{DH|B|12}}</ref> This was repealed once Voldemort was killed.
  +
|}
  +
  ⚫
===Known connections===
  +
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
  +
|-
  +
! scope="col" |Location
  +
! scope="col" |Notes
  +
|-
  +
|[[Hogsmeade]]
  +
|[[Three Broomsticks Inn]]<ref name="HM74"/>
  +
|-
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="3" |[[Diagon Alley]]
  ⚫
|[[Leaky Cauldron]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop]]<ref name="COSG">{{COS|G}} - Console and GBA versions</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Magical Menagerie]]<ref name="COSG" />
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Knockturn Alley]]
  ⚫
|[[Borgin and Burkes]]
  +
|-
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="6" |[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
  +
|[[Gryffindor common room]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Headmaster's office]]<ref name="HM510"/>
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] [[Professor]]'s [[Defence Against the Dark Arts professor's office|office]]
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Transfiguration (class)|Transfiguration]] [[Professor]]'s office
  +
|-
  ⚫
|Head of [[Slytherin]]'s office
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Hogwarts kitchens|Hogwarts kitchen]]
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[The Burrow]]
  +
|Kitchen
  +
|-
  +
| [[Floo Flames]]
  +
| A smaller Floo Network that allowed transportation throughout the [[Highlands]] of [[Scotland]], as well as throughout [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], in the late [[19th century]]
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]
  ⚫
|[[Atrium]]
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Little Whinging]]
  ⚫
|[[4 Privet Drive]] {{C|temporarily}}
  +
|-
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[London]]
  ⚫
|[[Prime Minister's office|10 Downing Street]]
  +
|}
   
 
==See also==
  
==See also==
 
*[[Floo Network Authority]]
  
*[[Floo Network Authority]]
−
*[[Floo powder]]
 +
*[[Floo Powder]]
  +
  +
==Behind the scenes==
  +
[[File:Bellatrix floo powder.gif|250px|thumb|right|Bellatrix using the Floo Network in {{OOTP|FA}}]]
  +
*In {{OOTP|FA}}, [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] used the Floo Network to escape from the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]]. This is not [[canon]], as in the [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|book]], [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] [[Apparition|Disapparated]] with her.
  +
  +
===Author's comments===
  +
"''Floo' came from the flue that you find on a chimney and don’t ask me to tell you exactly what a flue is, because I don't know. I just know it exists, but I’m not sure what it does exactly. I needed a way for particularly young witches and wizards to travel around because I'd created the International Statute of Secrecy, which was inconvenient, so immediately that made it quite difficult for them to move around, particularly over long distances, by magical means. So I thought they need something very discreet, and that's how the Floo Network came about, so it was a way of moving from house to house without ever being seen by Muggles. But it was fun and comical to have it a little bit difficult to use, so that you could easily make a mistake in where you ended up.''"<ref name="PM"/>
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
  +
*{{COS}} {{1st}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' {{1st}}
  
  +
*{{COS|F}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)]]''
  
  +
*{{COS|G}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''
  
  +
*{{GOF}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)]]''
  
  +
*{{GOF|F}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''
  
  +
*{{OOTP}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)]]''
  
  +
*{{OOTP|F}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]''
  
  +
*{{OOTP|G}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''
  
  +
*{{HBP}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''
  
  +
*{{DH}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]''
  
  +
*{{DH|F1}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)]]''
  
  +
*{{DH|G1}}
−
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World]]''
  
  +
*{{FB|S}} {{Mention}}
−
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World]]'' {{Mention}}
  
  +
*{{FB|F}} {{Mention}}
−
*''[[Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey]]''
  
  +
*{{SOD|S}}
−
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter|Harry Potter LEGO Sets]]''
  
  +
*{{SOD}}
  +
*''[[Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore: Movie Magic]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*{{PM}}
  +
*{{WW}}
  +
*{{LEGO}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y1}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y2}}
  +
*{{LEGO|B}}
  +
*{{LEGO|C}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{HPFJ}}
  +
*{{HM}}
  +
*{{MA}} {{HoM mention}}
  +
*{{HL}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{HPWA}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
  
{{Reflist}}
−  
 
[[de:Flohnetzwerk]]
  
[[de:Flohnetzwerk]]
  +
[[de2:Flohnetzwerk]]
 
[[es:Red Flu]]
  
[[es:Red Flu]]
 
[[fr:Réseau des cheminées]]
  
[[fr:Réseau des cheminées]]
 
[[it:Metropolvere]]
  
[[it:Metropolvere]]
  +
[[pl:Sieć Fiuu]]
  +
[[ru:Каминная сеть]]
  +
[[zh:飞路网]]
 
[[Category:Communication]]
  
[[Category:Communication]]
 
[[Category:Department of Magical Transportation]]
  
[[Category:Department of Magical Transportation]]
  +
[[Category:Fire-based magic]]
 
[[Category:Transportation]]
  
[[Category:Transportation]]

Latest revision as of 07:48, 16 April 2024

Hand pointing right transparent Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery & Harry Potter: Magic Awakened & Hogwarts Legacy.
As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

Floo Network OOTP

British Ministry of Magic employees using the Floo Network

"In use for centuries, the Floo Network, while somewhat uncomfortable, has many advantages. Firstly, unlike broomsticks, the Network can be used without fear of breaking the International Statute of Secrecy. Secondly, unlike Apparition, there is little to no danger of serious injury. Thirdly, it can be used to transport children, the elderly and the infirm."
— Description[src]

The Floo Network was a mode of wizarding transportation in which a witch or wizard went from one place to another by means of Floo powder and a fireplace. Many fireplaces were connected in the Floo Network, and the traveller needed only speak the location of the desired fireplace at which they wished to arrive very clearly as they stood in the emerald green flames.

Although generally reliable, mistakes could happen. Speaking the name of the destination loudly and clearly upon entering the Floo flames was sometimes difficult, due to ash, heat and panic.[1] The Head of the Department of Magical Transportation, and therefore the man that the Floo Network Authority reported to, was Percy Weasley by 2014.

History

The Floo Network was in use for centuries. The most notorious instance of accidental misdirection regarding the Floo Network happened in 1855 when, after a particularly nasty row with her husband, witch Violet Tillyman leapt into the living room fire and cried, between sobs and hiccups, that she wanted to go to her mother’s house.[1]

Several weeks later, with no clean pots in the house and his socks in urgent need of washing, her husband Albert decided that it was time she came home, and took the Floo Network to his mother-in-law's. To his surprise, she claimed that Violet had never arrived. Albert, a suspicious man and a bit of a bully, raged, stormed and searched the house, but his mother-in-law appeared to be telling the truth. A poster campaign and a series of articles in the Daily Prophet later, Violet had still not been found. Nobody seemed to know where she was and nobody had seen her come out of any other fireplace.[1]

For several months after her disappearance, many people were afraid to take the Floo Network, in case it simply vanished them into thin air. However, time passed, memories of Violet faded, and nobody else disappeared, so the Floo Network usage continued on as usual. Albert Tillyman returned grumpily to his house, learned cleaning and darning spells, and never used the Floo Network again for fear of what it had done to his wife.[1]

It was not until twenty years later, after Albert’s death, that Violet Tillyman resurfaced. Due to the incoherent way she had spoken when she had entered the Floo Network, she had not emerged from her mother’s fireplace, but that of Myron Otherhaus, a handsome wizard who lived in Bury St Edmunds. Despite Violet’s tear-stained, ash-covered and blotchy appearance, it had been love at first sight when she toppled out of his fire, and Myron, Violet, and their seven children lived happily ever after.[1]

Officials apologised for Southern Floo Network congestion in The New York Ghost in 1926.[2]

When Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters took over the British Ministry of Magic, they imposed a new regulation that only senior-ranked Ministry employees were allowed to travel to the Ministry via the Floo Network or Apparition; all others had to use the Whitehall underground public toilets entryway to get there. This was immediately repealed once Voldemort was killed.

Regulation and usage

"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly —"
— Molly Weasley explaining the vastness of the Floo Network[src]
DMT clear

The Department of Magical Transportation oversaw the Floo Network

The British network was governed by the Floo Network Authority, a section of the Department of Magical Transportation of the Ministry of Magic. This department was located on Level Six of the Ministry. The Floo Network Authority controlled which fireplaces were connected to the Floo Network, which required specialised magic. Travelling by way of the Floo Network could be done without specialised magic, and could be preferable for wizards too young to Apparate or those without access to other forms of transportation, such as broomsticks. The Floo Network could also be used to transport underage children, the elderly, and the infirm.

Nearly every wizarding home had a fireplace that was connected to the Floo Network. While a fireplace could be disconnected by the use of a simple spell, connection required the approval of the Ministry of Magic, which regulated the Floo Network and prevented Muggle fireplaces from becoming inadvertently joined up (although temporary connections could be arranged in emergencies).

In addition to domestic fireplaces, there were over a thousand fireplaces across Britain connected to the Floo Network, including those at the Ministry of Magic and various wizarding shops and inns. The fireplaces of Hogwarts were not generally connected, although there were some occasions when one or more had been tampered with, often without the staff's knowledge.

In America, the Floo Network was regulated by the Magical Congress of the United States of America and appeared to be divided into regions, as The New York Ghost mentioned the "Southern Floo Network".

Description

Body transport

"It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant drain. He seemed to be spinning very fast — the roaring in his ears was deafening — he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick — something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly, still spinning and spinning — now it felt as though cold hand were slapping his face — squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond — his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him — he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then… He fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt the bridge of his glasses snap."
— Harry Potter using the Floo Network for the first time[src]
Diagonally

Harry Potter using the Floo Network to transport himself to Diagon Alley

This network connected all wizarding fireplaces that utilised Floo Powder as a mode of transportation. Muggle homes were not connected to the Floo Network unless special, temporary arrangements were made, which did not require the Authority to visit the location, as the connection could simply be made directly from the Ministry of Magic.

To access the network, one had to toss a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace, walk into the heatless, emerald green fire, and declare the desired destination. It was apparently also important for the traveller to keep their elbows close to their body. During the trip, the traveller would notice other fireplaces and hearths zooming past, but it was impossible for the traveller to see these locations clearly, as the speed of travel was too great.

Head-only transport

"Amos Diggory's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears."
— Amos Diggory using the Floo to transport his head when talking to Arthur Weasley[src]
Sirius fire

Sirius Black communicating to Harry Potter through the fire when there were flames in it

It was also possible to use the Floo Network to speak to someone in another location by merely putting their head through the green fire, as Sirius Black did to talk to Harry in the latter's fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts. The Floo Network could also be used to transport inanimate objects. For example: In 1994, Molly Weasley used the fire tongs to put a piece of toast into Amos Diggory's mouth while he was talking to Arthur Weasley via the Floo Network after the Quidditch World Cup incident.[3]

As Sirius Black could use the fire to talk to Harry in the fourth and fifth years, but in Harry's sixth year, a special arrangement had to be made from the Ministry to enable students to arrive at Hogwarts, it seems that head-only transport was possible even if full human transportation was not. Otherwise, intruders, including Sirius Black, could simply use the fire in the common room to circumvent the castle's defences.

Known uses

"He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames. With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, “Diagon Alley!” and vanished."
— Fred Weasley travelling to Diagon Alley using the Floo[src]
Wizard(s) Notes
Eulalie Hicks and Jacob Kowalski (a Muggle) Used the Floo Network to enter The Great Wizarding Express in 1932 through the train's fireplace, to meet up with Dumbledore's first army.[4]
Jacob's sibling and friend Used the fireplace in the Headmaster's office to access Diagon Alley, specifically so they could reach Knockturn Alley, with Patricia Rakepick's asssistance.[5]
Floo Network HM510
Jacob's sibling Used the fireplace in the Three Broomsticks Inn to access the British Ministry of Magic via the Floo Network.[6]
Floo powder in the Three Broomsticks Inn HM74
Harry Potter First travelled via the Floo Network in 1992 when he journeyed from The Burrow to London. However, Harry choked in the flames while saying "Diagon Alley". Therefore he accidentally ended up at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley, the alley infamous for the Dark Arts.[7]
Harry Potter using Floo powder
Arthur Weasley

In 1994, the Floo Network was temporarily connected to the Dursleys', as a favour to Arthur Weasley, so that he could transport Harry back to the Burrow in preparation of the upcoming trip to the 1994 Quidditch World Cup that Harry would be attending with the Weasley family and Hermione. The Dursleys, however, had an electric fire and Arthur Weasley had to blast open the fireplace to get out because he was stuck in there with Ron, Fred, and George.[8]

B4C4M1 Weasleys bursting through 4 Privet Drive fireplace
Ron Weasley
Fred and George Weasley
Harry Potter In 1996, Harry used the Floo Network connection in Dolores Umbridge's office to contact Sirius Black at 12 Grimmauld Place, as her fireplace was one of the only ones not being monitored.[9] Harry attempted to contact Sirius a second time on 17 June, but was caught by Umbridge while speaking to Kreacher.[10]
Hogwarts students At the end of the Christmas holidays in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, numerous students including Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys used the Floo Network to travel back to Hogwarts.[11]
Ministry officials In 1997, when the Ministry was overthrown by Lord Voldemort, only the fireplaces in the homes and offices of senior Ministry officials were connected to the Network.[12] This was repealed once Voldemort was killed.

Known connections

Location Notes
Hogsmeade Three Broomsticks Inn[6]
Diagon Alley Leaky Cauldron
Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop[13]
Magical Menagerie[13]
Knockturn Alley Borgin and Burkes
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Gryffindor common room
Headmaster's office[5]
Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor's office
Transfiguration Professor's office
Head of Slytherin's office
Hogwarts kitchen
The Burrow Kitchen
Floo Flames A smaller Floo Network that allowed transportation throughout the Highlands of Scotland, as well as throughout Hogwarts, in the late 19th century
Ministry of Magic Atrium
Little Whinging 4 Privet Drive (temporarily)
London 10 Downing Street

See also

Behind the scenes

Bellatrix floo powder

Bellatrix using the Floo Network in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Author's comments

"Floo' came from the flue that you find on a chimney and don’t ask me to tell you exactly what a flue is, because I don't know. I just know it exists, but I’m not sure what it does exactly. I needed a way for particularly young witches and wizards to travel around because I'd created the International Statute of Secrecy, which was inconvenient, so immediately that made it quite difficult for them to move around, particularly over long distances, by magical means. So I thought they need something very discreet, and that's how the Floo Network came about, so it was a way of moving from house to house without ever being seen by Muggles. But it was fun and comical to have it a little bit difficult to use, so that you could easily make a mistake in where you ended up."[1]

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Floo Powder" at Wizarding World
  2. ↑ (see this image)
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 11 (Aboard the Hogwarts Express)
  4. ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 10 (Knockturn Alley)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 4 (A New Assignment)
  7. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 4 (At Flourish and Blotts)
  8. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 4 (Back to The Burrow)
  9. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 29 (Careers Advice)
  10. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 32 (Out of the Fire)
  11. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 17 (A Sluggish Memory)
  12. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 12 (Magic is Might)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) - Console and GBA versions
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