Floo Network

The Floo Network is a mode of transportation in the wizarding world in which a 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 flames.

The network governed by the Floo Network Authority, a section of the Department of Magical Transportation of the 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 Apparate or those without access to other forms of transportation, such as broomsticks.

When travelling by Floo, a witch or wizard must clearly pronounce the location they want to go, or they may be misdirected to the wrong place.

Description

Body transport

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.

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.

Head-only transport

One may also use the Floo Network to speak to someone in another location by merely putting their head through the green fire. The Floo Network can also be used to transport inanimate objects.

A special arrangement had to be made from the Ministry to enable students to arrive at Hogwarts via the Floo Network, though head-only transport is possible even if human transportation is not. Otherwise, intruders could simply use the fire in the common room to circumvent the castle's defences.

Harry Potter Wiki: Floo Network

International Floo

The British Floo is connected at strategic points to other International floos - for example at the Ministry in London. It is then possible to travel internationally by floo, rather like Muggles travel by plane. This is sometimes referred to as the trans-continental Floo Network.

In March 2009, Johann Storm and Petra Pendrick-Talonen used the International Floo to reach the Netherlands, only owing to a recent accident, their route was rather longer than anticipated, travelling through France and Belgium, the latter has a better connected local floo owing to shared resources.

Johann and Petra had travelled through a specially connected fireplace in the atrium, supervised daily by a member of the Department of Magical transport, which connected cross continentally - only typically - the floo network connection for the Netherlands was out of order - they'd lost a witch two days ago and she'd not turned up yet. Instead the wizard with his list beside the fireplaces gave them instructions on going to France and then using their fireplace to floo out again... Faithfully they'd both stepped into the fire, and reappeared the other side in the French Ministry only to find that they were experiencing the same problem - or rather had taken the precaution. Exasperated, Johann and Petra flooed again to Belgium, where the Belgian witch laughed and pointed them towards some other fireplaces - Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands connected far better for their local traffic and sharing resources, being smaller countries. Their floo was fine, and apparently they'd not lost anyone in a hundred and four years. [1]

Arrival and departures are logged in Britain, which enables Johann Storm and Charlie Robards to consider checking the records regarding the arrival of foreign werewolf. [2]

Known Destinations on the Floo

Hogwarts

• The Great Hall - by arrangement
• The Headmaster's office at Hogwarts - though only scheduled, authorized visits are permitted
• The Hospital Hut at Hogwarts - closed floo network which includes key fireplaces in the school proper as well as St. Mungo's
• The Staff Room - outbound only

Hogwarts has its own internal floo, which Naomi Foley encountered while working with Runes [3]

Britain

Businesses

• The Shodding Arms Hotel in Knockturn Alley
• Calaveras, which is only connected intermittently during opening hours by Meredith Renfield

Homes

• Hollingbury House, 25 Stuart Road, Acton, London
• Monty Pepper and family home in Sandy, Bedfordshire
• Francis Pepper and family home in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
• Alfie Vaillancourt's home in Suffolk
• Tynan MacFusty's home on Mingulay Isle
• Kabir Ahmed's home
• Ignan Storm's home in Godric's Hollow (The Old School House)
• Arcturus Hollingbury and Elixa Mordent's flat in Diagon Alley

Abroad

• Salem Witches Institute is connected to its own floo network, which the Seniors have some access to

At Absit Omen

• No Pressure! As part of a Ancient Runes project Naomi Foley creates and demonstrates a small floo network.

See Also

• Floo Network Authority
• Floo Powder
• Department of Magical Transportation
• Apparition