Getting into Hogwarts - Wards? Gates? Tunnels? Please help!

[birdsofshore]

I have so many questions about this. We all know that you can't Apparate into Hogwarts. But what are the ways you CAN get in?

1) If you arrive at the gates unexpectedly, can you get a message to the Castle to ask to be let in (a Patronus?)? Is there a bell or something? Or do you only get in if you're an expected (and welcome) guest?

2) Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were able to fly and sail to Hogwarts - was this because they were expected? Did Dumbledore lower the wards? Or can anyone just fly over the walls and get in? (with a broom, a flying motorbike, a thestral, a dragon?)  Could anyone just swim across the Lake and get in?

3) Do the boundary walls go all the way round and enclose the Forbidden Forest? Maps like this seem to suggest they do:



Or are there ways to sneak in via the Forbidden Forest?

4) House-elves can Apparate into Hogwarts - could a house-elf bring a person in by Side-Along Apparition?

5) Are there any other ways in? There are the 3 tunnels Harry knows of (do these all lead to Hogsmeade?) Do we know how long it takes to walk from Hogsmeade to the Whomping Willow? I know Fred and George say there are other tunnels that Filch doesn't know about, too.

This started off as research for a fic, and now I'm just curious. I'd love to know your thoughts - backed up with canon if at all possible :)

Thank you ♥

Comments

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

"Wards" is a fanon phenomenon. In the books there were certain enchantments that protected people and places, but the word "ward" was not used. Dumbledore was not seen raising and lowering the enchantments at Hogwarts; I just assumed they were set in place by the founders and continually renewed, but not much is said. (ETA: I just read the comments and saw the one about Dumbledore raising the enchantments. Clearly I have some re-reading to do!)

In DH, Grawp and Hagrid were hiding out in a cave above Hogsmeade. During the final battle, Grawp smashed through the boundary to bring Hagrid and Fang back to the castle. That implies to me that there's a boundary encircling the castle, but it doesn't prove it definitively.

Last spring, I wrote an essay about Portkeys, which is another way to enter and leave the castle. It might be of use. http://hp-canon-love.livejournal.com/5261.html

[birdsofshore]

BRILLIANT. I think I'd already discarded Portkeys because I decided Hogwarts was warded against them :/

I'm going to read your essay, thank you so much!

That's interesting about the 'enchantments' v wards. I wonder what exactly the enchantments were...I did know wards were a fanon thing, at some point... but then you read it in fic ALL the time, and I easily become 100% convinced it is canon.