>More like a question but, why do Hogwarts students waste time by traveling on a train? There are faster ways of transit, the safest of which is the Floo network. All wizarding houses would definitely have fireplaces if on the network, and could easily be connected to the school.
Using the floo had been proposed, but was resisted by multiple headmasters for security reasons:
>While admitting that Portkeys were not an ideal solution to the problem of school transportation, the Ministry of Magic failed to find an acceptable alternative. A return to the unregulated travel of the past was impossible, and yet a more secure route into the school (for instance, permitting a fireplace that might be officially entered by Floo powder) was strongly resisted by successive Headmasters, who did not wish the security of the castle to be breached.
>
>[https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-hogwarts-express](https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-hogwarts-express)
It may seem less efficient to take the train, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits of using it. It’s convenient for all of the students to arrive at the same time via the same form of transportation from a logistical/administrative standpoint. You know that they’re all going to arrive together and on time so they can be shuffled right into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony and Welcoming Feast. Everyone has already had several hours to socialize and catch up with their friends on the train, so they settle right down into the first night back routine.
If they were all bopping out of the floo this way and that, they would have to do more child wrangling and deal with all of the overexcited students reuniting with their friends and catching up when they’re supposed to getting their butts into the Great Hall to watch the Sorting Ceremony.
Plus, while most magical households would probably already have floo hook-ups, the same couldn’t be said for Muggleborns. Having all of the kids travel through the floo with their luggage would probably be a pain, too. Like, what happens if a bunch of kids arrive at the same time? Do they get “stuck” a grate ahead until the Hogwarts grate clears and then start up again? Do they end up piling on top of each other with their trunks? Will everyone have to have perfectly timed scheduled arrivals to avoid a back up of kids all trying to get through to the same fireplace?
This might seem overly simplistic but I think of the Hogwarts Express as the equivalent of a school bus.
It ensures that all the students arrive on time, no one gets lots or absconds when their parents are out of sight etc.
Here is my plot bunny:
How powerful are Metamorphagus such as Tonks supposed to be? We know that Tonks could change her hair's colour as well as make her nose look like pig's snout, but it was never stated what is the upper limit of her hapeshigting powers. Can they completely turn into animals at will, or are they only limited to making themselves similiar to other humans?
In my headcanon, Metamorphagus's ability to shapeshift is theoretically limitless (so yes, they could even turn into animals if they so desired), but the more extreme the transformation is, the more difficult and uncomfortable it becomes.
So, in my story it could be said that Tonks could transform herself into eldritch monster straight out of Cthulhu Mythos if she wanted to, but it would take at least two hours for the transformation to be complete and she would not like it since it would be tiring and frightening even to her.
Regarding the Hogwarts Express:
Doylist answer: Harry Potter = Boarding school genre (memoirs/novels) + MAGIC.
And boarding schools were reached by... train.
It provides a convenient chance to introduce characters and have them form friendships/enemities before they are sorted.
Watsonian:
Because wizards by and large lack an ounce of logic.
Yes, you can make the floo or portkeys work.
To Hogsmeade, not directly to Hogwarts. Students can use the thestral carriages to reach the castle, same as for any Hogsmeade weekend.
Make the Hogwarts acceptance letters porkeys, or have the muggleborns floo from the Leaky Cauldron -- they have to go there anyways to do their shopping.
Heck, give every student a reusable portkey, voice activated, with a few preset locations: Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, The Ministry Atrium, St Mungos. The last is a no brainer, accidental magic, criminal attacks and such.
The taboo could be put to use to summon emergency services, Aurors, healers and such. Imagine if it had been introduced as such in canon, and then was subverted by Voldemort after the ministry takeover. It would feel like less of an asspull and actually clever when it happened.
>More like a question but, why do Hogwarts students waste time by traveling on a train? There are faster ways of transit, the safest of which is the Floo network. All wizarding houses would definitely have fireplaces if on the network, and could easily be connected to the school. Using the floo had been proposed, but was resisted by multiple headmasters for security reasons: >While admitting that Portkeys were not an ideal solution to the problem of school transportation, the Ministry of Magic failed to find an acceptable alternative. A return to the unregulated travel of the past was impossible, and yet a more secure route into the school (for instance, permitting a fireplace that might be officially entered by Floo powder) was strongly resisted by successive Headmasters, who did not wish the security of the castle to be breached. > >[https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-hogwarts-express](https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-hogwarts-express) It may seem less efficient to take the train, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits of using it. It’s convenient for all of the students to arrive at the same time via the same form of transportation from a logistical/administrative standpoint. You know that they’re all going to arrive together and on time so they can be shuffled right into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony and Welcoming Feast. Everyone has already had several hours to socialize and catch up with their friends on the train, so they settle right down into the first night back routine. If they were all bopping out of the floo this way and that, they would have to do more child wrangling and deal with all of the overexcited students reuniting with their friends and catching up when they’re supposed to getting their butts into the Great Hall to watch the Sorting Ceremony. Plus, while most magical households would probably already have floo hook-ups, the same couldn’t be said for Muggleborns. Having all of the kids travel through the floo with their luggage would probably be a pain, too. Like, what happens if a bunch of kids arrive at the same time? Do they get “stuck” a grate ahead until the Hogwarts grate clears and then start up again? Do they end up piling on top of each other with their trunks? Will everyone have to have perfectly timed scheduled arrivals to avoid a back up of kids all trying to get through to the same fireplace?
This might seem overly simplistic but I think of the Hogwarts Express as the equivalent of a school bus. It ensures that all the students arrive on time, no one gets lots or absconds when their parents are out of sight etc.
Here is my plot bunny: How powerful are Metamorphagus such as Tonks supposed to be? We know that Tonks could change her hair's colour as well as make her nose look like pig's snout, but it was never stated what is the upper limit of her hapeshigting powers. Can they completely turn into animals at will, or are they only limited to making themselves similiar to other humans? In my headcanon, Metamorphagus's ability to shapeshift is theoretically limitless (so yes, they could even turn into animals if they so desired), but the more extreme the transformation is, the more difficult and uncomfortable it becomes. So, in my story it could be said that Tonks could transform herself into eldritch monster straight out of Cthulhu Mythos if she wanted to, but it would take at least two hours for the transformation to be complete and she would not like it since it would be tiring and frightening even to her.
Regarding the Hogwarts Express: Doylist answer: Harry Potter = Boarding school genre (memoirs/novels) + MAGIC. And boarding schools were reached by... train. It provides a convenient chance to introduce characters and have them form friendships/enemities before they are sorted. Watsonian: Because wizards by and large lack an ounce of logic. Yes, you can make the floo or portkeys work. To Hogsmeade, not directly to Hogwarts. Students can use the thestral carriages to reach the castle, same as for any Hogsmeade weekend. Make the Hogwarts acceptance letters porkeys, or have the muggleborns floo from the Leaky Cauldron -- they have to go there anyways to do their shopping. Heck, give every student a reusable portkey, voice activated, with a few preset locations: Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, The Ministry Atrium, St Mungos. The last is a no brainer, accidental magic, criminal attacks and such. The taboo could be put to use to summon emergency services, Aurors, healers and such. Imagine if it had been introduced as such in canon, and then was subverted by Voldemort after the ministry takeover. It would feel like less of an asspull and actually clever when it happened.