Going back to Hogwarts

Twenty years ago today, Harry James Potter met Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jean Granger at Platform Nine and three-quarters and on the Hogwarts Express. Let the magic begin!

Back to witches and wizards and magical beasts,

To goblins and ghosts and some magical feasts.

It's all the I love and it's all that I need

At Hogwarts, Hogwarts.

I think I'm going back.

OK people, the Hogwarts Express is leaving now (11.00 am, 1st September) and if you aren't on it ... that's obviously a problem. You might have Death Eaters waiting outside and staring at the door of your unplottable home, I don't know. Heck, you may have a House Elf hell bent on keeping you alive (and therefore out of Hogwarts) and sealing off the gateway at Platform nine and three-quarters. Or maybe you just missed the train (and there isn't another one until January!) and you left your flying motorbike at home?

Me stood with the Hogwarts Express 25.02.2011

So never fear. I'm here to tell you how you can get there (not all are safe mind you, because that's no fun).

Note: if you want to do this properly, send an owl as Professor Minerva McGonagall suggests. She'll probably just set you up a Floo connection in her office but where's the fun in that?

Option One: Pottermore!

The obvious choice. For those lucky one million people who solved the clues (I don't count you if you were accepted after Day three, "How many students take part in the Triwizard Tournament during Harry's fourth year?" Really? Really?) and have been selected to be a Beta for the website, congratulations! (I got in on the first day, of course.) For those who weren't selected by the Magical Quill, well Hogwarts isn't for Muggles or Squibs. (No but really, it's bloody brilliant. I'm a Ravenclaw: SilverQueen65. Add me - but please leave your username in the comments below so I know who you are.)


Option Two: Flying Car

It's perfectly safe. After all, if two fourteen year old idiots (I mean Fred and George) can manage to get from Little Winging to Ottery St. Catchpole in a light-blue 105E Ford Anglia without being seen then surely you can. Mind you, two twelve year olds couldn't manage it. They not only got seen by muggles, but managed to dangle precariously over the Hogwarts Express and smash into a tree. Clever boys.

Harry and Ron dropping in on the Hogwarts Express.

Just don't hit the Whomping Willow on the way down. OK? Oh, and bring some water/something to do. It can get mighty boring staring at clouds all day.

Of course, if you have get to pass your driving test there are alternative methods of transport.

Option Three: Broomsticks

This is something which all students should be proficient in, having had a lesson with Madame Hooch in their first year. (Although obviously one could only get as far as Hogsmeade due to the protective charms around the castle, but I'll advise you on that later.)

Option Four: Magical ship/Horse & Carriage
But what if broomsticks aren't your thing? Well, students from Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic (Académie de Magie Beauxbâtons) seemed to manage fine on Halloween of 1994 with unique methods of magical transportation. The Durmstrang students even steered the ship themselves whilst Igor Karkaroff stayed in his cabin.

Durmstrang ship, which emerged from the lake.

The giant pegasus' and cottage-sized carriage from Bauxbatons.

Option Five: Apparition (or Portkey)

So you're not foreign either or don't have access to either of these. Well, what about apparition? Hogsmeade no longer has the caterwalling charm in place so you've no fear of having Death Eaters chasing you down it's cobbled streets. Bonus! Alternatively, if there are too many of you for side-along apparition, why not try a Portkey? Just make sure that you all remember to grab on and don't let go!

Option Six: Thestrals

Oh, you won't have been able to take the test for apparition yet will you? Unless you're in your final year and in that case how did you miss the train? It's not like you didn't have enough practise. And the spell for portkeys are pretty complicated and you require Ministry permission. Thestrals are also an option ... as long as you have a firm grip ... and have seen someone die tends to help ... so just hold on tight and don't walk into its flank when you get off! *cough* Ron Weasley *cough*. They're very intelligent, just tell them where you want to go, but be careful. They are, after all, classification XXXX.

Option Six: Hippogriffs

Alright, so you're open to the concept of flying magical creatures ... just not ones which you need to have seen death to be able to see them. Well then what about Hippogriffs? They're smart, loyal, take pride in their appearances (nothing wrong with that now is there) and are fine for flying in a crisis (just ask Harry Potter, Hermione Weasley or Sirius Black). But please people, don't pull a Malfoy. Show some respect! These guys are taking you from London, England all the was up to Hogwarts, Scotland. That doesn't exactly sound easy now does it? Especially with you on their backs as well! So be nice and watch your ps and qs.

Hermione Granger, Harry Potter & Buckbeak in 1994.

Option Seven: The Knight Bus
If all else fails, or you  cannot use Apparition or Portkeys or are in fact, a Squib, there's always the triple-decker, purple Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and they can take you anywhere you want to. Just don't forget your sickles.

Harry Potter with conductor Stan Shunpike with the Knight Bus in 1993.

OK, when you get to Hogsmeade there are various things you can do. If possible, send a patronus up to the castle. If you can't though, get an adult from one of the nearby shops or houses in the village. Or there's various ways in and out of the castle (don't even try scaling the walls/flying over the walls) from the passageway via The Hog's Head to the one through Honeydukes. Or if you're feeling brave, the Whomping Willow. So relax, and get to Hogwarts in style.


I love hearing from you all, so please just leave a comment below and let me know which was your favourite. And have you been lucky enough to enter Pottermore yet?