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

[arenee1999]

In book 6 the anti-apparition spell was lifted in the Great Hall so students could practice for their apparition tests.

Lucius Malfoy is on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, so he'd likely be able to enter the school grounds anytime he pleases. The Minister of Magic can probably enter at any time as well.

In book 5 when Harry is late getting off the train (because Draco hexes him), Tonks had to come open the gate so he could get onto the grounds. She sends a patronus to the gate letting Harry know she's coming, so it's possible someone could get a patronus message past the gate.


So it sounds like the gates are kept closed except for special circumstances (the first day when students arrive, for quiddtich matches, Hogsmead weekend and the last day when students leave). Certain people likely have a password or spell that will let them enter/leave via the gates (staff, the board of governors, etc)

I always thought the Forbidden Forest was much larger than just the part that's on the Hogwarts grounds. So entry from there may be possible, but with all the nasty stuff that lives in there it would be dangerous to do so. The death eaters likely wouldn't want to risk having to battle dangerous creatures before the even made it onto the grounds.

The lake would have the same dangers as the forest. Besides the giant squid, the are Merpeople and grindylowes living in it. Swimming across it wouldn't be advisable, especially for a large group of people.

House elves apparte differently than humans do. Dobby was able to side-along people out of Malfoy Manor in the last book through the anti-apparition spells, so I'd think they could do the same with Hogwarts. Although it's possible only elves that work at Hogwarts could do so, but that's unlikely. Most Wizards don't think twice about house elves so they'd never think to ask/order them to do something like that.

The tunnels could be a potential way in, but since Filtch knows about most of them and the three to Hogsmead would be inconvenient for a group of people trying to make a stealth entrance you'd have to be desperate to try it. They also aren't very large so it would make for a difficult walk. The one from the shrieking shack could be used, but very few people actually know about that one since it wasn't built until the Marauder's were at Hogwarts and only they, Dumbledore and Snape even knew about it (and now Harry, Ron & Hermione).

In the 5th book Harry and Co. fly out on Thestrals and owls can come and go as they like. So magical animals can probably fly in at anytime, but brooms and the like will be stopped by some type of enchantment.

The enchantments/spells were probably lowered for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to enter since Dumbledore knew when they'd be coming.

I have a theory on why the death eaters needed to use the vanishing cabinet. Dumbledore put a spell around the perimeter of the grounds to alert him anytime someone with a dark mark enters the grounds. By using the cabinet they don't cross the perimeter and don't trigger the spell so Dumbledore won't be warned they're coming.

[birdsofshore]

Gosh, thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful post. I'm really interested in your theories and also the way you've backed them up with canon.

Certain people likely have a password or spell that will let them enter/leave via the gates (staff, the board of governors, etc)

This is a great explanation that I had not considered. It would answer a lot of my questions.

By using the cabinet they don't cross the perimeter and don't trigger the spell so Dumbledore won't be warned they're coming.

Yup, this totally works as well! Thanks so much for these ideas.

I was wondering if it would be OK to friend you, please? I'd be thrilled to have someone with such awesome canon knowledge on my flist.

[arenee1999]

I was wondering if it would be OK to friend you, please? I'd be thrilled to have someone with such awesome canon knowledge on my flist.

Of course! More Harry Potter friends are always welcome. :)