After that first Imperius Curse lesson, everyone, both kids and adults, needed to unwind and relax a bit.
"We all need a break, " declared Heather accurately, "First, let's some have some refreshment. Topsy!"
The house elf appeared at the kitchen table that Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, Sirius, Remus, Amelia, and Heather were currently sitting at.
"Yes, Mistress Heather?" asked Topsy.
"Please bring us eight lemon popsicles, one for each of us, " requested Heather.
A minute and a nanosecond later, Topsy returned to the kitchen carrying eight unwrapped lemon popsicles by the stick and handed one each to Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, Sirius, Remus, Amelia, and Heather.
"Thank you, Topsy, " said Heather kindly.
"Topsy is pleased to serve Mistress Heather, " said Topsy warmly as she left the room again.
"Now, " instructed Heather, "Let's all eat and enjoy these lemon popsicles slowly and in silence and allow ourselves to calm down."
Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, Sirius, Remus, Amelia, and Heather all ate the lemon popsicles in a slow and calm manner. They were very tasty and soothing. By the time they were gone, Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, Sirius, Remus, Amelia, and Heather all felt both relaxed and refreshed.
"Okay, " said Heather clearly, "I'll admit, as a teacher, I'm not big on lectures and prefer practical and physical experience. But there is a lecture that I wish to give the Yellow Quartet as part of their first year teachings and as now wouldn't be a good time to physical exert ourselves much, now is a good time for this lecture."
"What will this lecture be about?" Susan asked Heather curiously.
"Wizarding transportation and the history thereof, " answered Heather matter of factly.
"Mom?" inquired Hannah, "Is this lecture mostly for Harry's and Amy's benefit."
"You and Susan do know more about wizarding transportation and its history than Harry and Amy do," said Heather matter of factly, "But there are also things you don't know. It'll be a good lesson for all four of you."
"So, what type of wizarding transpiration are we going to start with?" piped up Amy.
"So," replied Heather, "The first type of magical transport I wish to discuss with you is the flying carpet. Now, flying carpets are banned by the Ministries of Magic of the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. However, Flying Carpets are the most popular method of magical transport amongst Asian witches and wizards, both in the Middle East and in the Far East."
"Flying carpets would be a good family vehicle, " said Amy thoughtfully, "They can carry many people at once, so, especially for larger families with multiple children, or for close extended families who wanted to all travel together on the same flying vehicle, flying carpets would be the ticket."
"Exactly, " confirmed Heather, "The ability of flying carpets to carry many people at once is precisely why there are so popular amongst Asian wizarding families and have been for thousands of years now. "
Why are flying carpets then banned in some countries?" inquired Harry.
"Safety," answered Amelia, "In the U.K., carpets have conveniently been classified as a muggle artifact, thus banning them from being charmed. However, the reality of the matter is, slipping off of a flying carpet is much more likely than falling off of a flying broomstick. Furthermore, if TOO many people sit on a flying carpet at once, it can sag under their weight. Ultimately, flying carpets are coinvent but also one of the riskier methods of magical transport."
"Why are they still popular in Asia then?" asked Susan.
"Traditionalism, " answered Amelia wearily, "Some degree of traditionalism exists in all wizarding comminutes in the world, but Asian witches and wizards are far more hellbent on sticking to their traditional ways of doing things than their western counterparts."
"I take that we're never going to ride on a flying carpet, though?" guessed Hannah.
"Of course not, " said Amelia firmly, "We don't disobey the law and our country has banned flying carpets."
"So then?" piped up Harry, "I know that broomsticks are a major means of wizard transport. How did that come to be?"
"I'll let you take this one, Sirius!" grinned Heather.
Sirius beamed.
"So, " smiled Sirius seriously, "Brooms are generally easy to learn how to grip and how to fly and usually are a very safe means of transport. Brooms are only dangerous if made of weak material, made incorrectly, or are old. Brooms that are used for flying tend to take a lot of wear and tear and after a while they do become harder to grip and their behavior becomes more unpredictable. Flying brooms should be replaced at least once every three years and should NEVER under ANY circumstances be used longer than five years."
Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah already knew most of this from the fallout when Hannah had refused to allow Harry, Amy, Susan to ride the Hogwarts brooms after immediately sensing how dangerous they were.
"Yeah, " said Harry with a hint of impatience, "But when did flying broomsticks become a thing for witches and wizards?"
"The earliest record of their use is from the year 962, " answered Sirius, "But it is extremely likely that they were in use for quite a long time before that. Intuitively, I feel like brooms were probably used as a means of magical transport starting around the year 800. The true origins of the flying broomstick are unknown. However, it is known that the earliest flying broomsticks were often extremely uncomfortable. Prior to 1100, witches and wizards made their own broomsticks, and due to differences in people's ability to make them, their quality and comfort varied wildly. After 1100, witches and wizards learned the concept of trading services. So, if one family made great potions but shitty brooms, and another made great brooms but shitty potions, then the family that made great brooms would make brooms for the family that made great potions and the family that made great potions would make potions for the family that made great brooms and they would swap them. Today, of course, most products, including brooms, are made by professionals and purchased in shops."
"How long have professionally made brooms been available for purchase at shops?" Harry asked Sirius.
"Since 1700, " answered Sirius, "The Statue of Secrecy, passed in 1692, paved the way for magical supplies to be sold to the wizarding public in shops because it put an end to the fear of muggle persecution and led to witches and wizards becoming more public amongst themselves."
"Do the different brands of brooms matter?" Harry asked Sirius.
"Yes, but not in an extreme way. Nimbuses are better than Cleansweeps, but Cleansweeps are still good brooms. The Firebolt is the absolute top of the line model, once you get below that, all of the good brands are good if you will. Truthfully, most of the responsibility rests with the rider to ride his or her broom correctly."
"How popular are brooms as a method of magical transport?" Harry asked Sirius.
"The most popular in most countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Canada. They are the slowest means of wizarding transport, but they are also the most comfortable means of wizarding transport and are a safe way to travel if they are made and ridden correctly and replaced regularly."
"Do broomsticks ever need to be serviced like muggle cars?" asked Amy curiously.
"If they've reached that point, replace them, " chorused Sirius, Remus, Amelia, and Heather.
"Replacing flying brooms regularly is the real key to keeping their riders safe, right mom?" piped up Hannah.
"Right, Hannah!" beamed Heather.
"Before we move on, " added Sirius, "One last point is that brooms are ridden in short spaces for fun. Many witches and wizards also enjoy broom racing. So, in the case of brooms, they are leisurely as well as practical."
"There's no doubt that flying is fun, " said Harry and Sirius glowed.
""Moving on, " said Heather briskly, "Witches and wizards can travel by fire by adding the substance known as Floo Powder to a fire to make the fire magical and give witches and wizards the ability to travel via fire between places connected by the Floo Network. "
"How does Floo Powder work?" asked Harry.
"You add a bit of Floo powder to a normal fire and it turns into harmless green flame, " explained Remus, "Then, you say the name of the place connected to the Floo Network you wish to travel to and come out in that place in its connected fireplace."
"Speaking clearly is particularly important in the use of Floo Powder, " said Susan crisply, "If you don't speak clearly, you risk coming out in the wrong place."
"Too true, " said Amelia wearily, "I remember when you were six and you turned up in Knockturn Alley instead of Diagon Alley. It took me like a hundred blue moons to find you."
"Floo powder was invented in the year 1212 by a witch named Ignatia Wildsmith, " said Remus clearly, " She was a Ravenclaw graduate who specialized in creating magical substances other than potions.
"Can people make their own Floo powder?" asked Hannah.
"No, " answered Heather matter of factly, "Very few people know it's exact composition. The composition of Floo Powder is a trade secret."
"Is it common for people to attempt to make their own and fail?" asked Susan curiously.
"Oh, yes, " said Heather disapprovingly, "The majority of St. Mungo's burn patients are people who have messed around with trying to make Floo powder themselves. Like, it's two sickles per scoop. No need to be messing around trying to make it yourself."
"Floo powder is a very uncomfortable way to travel, " admitted Amelia, "And it can be monitored. Brooms are a much better choice if privacy matters."
"Another method of magical transport, " transitioned Heather, "Is Portkeys. Portkeys came into usage in the year 1313. They are objects that can transport you to anywhere they are programmed to, either at a prescribed time or at first touch."
"Portkeys are more reliable than Floo powder because they don't require speaking clarity, you just touch them, " explained Remus, "On the other hand, any individual Portkey can only be used once. Portkeys are faster than brooms, safer than carpets, and more reliable than Floo powder, but their weakness is that any individual Portkey can only be used and to use another Portkey in the future you have to set up a new one each time."
"Even with that limitation, " said Harry observantly, "Portkeys sound like a great way to travel if you need a quick transport to a place that is not in the Floo Network."
"Smart boy, " said Heather proudly, "In fact, the reason Portkeys were invented in the first place was to cover situations in which quick transport to places not covered by the Floo network was needed. A wizard named Porter Portus invented Portkeys in 1313 to compliment the Floo network."
"Is there any danger in Portkeys?" asked Hannah.
"No, but there is a risk of either missing a pre timed Portkey or accidently touching a touch to trigger Portkey. You do have to pay attention when using them," replied Sirius.
"A prescribed time Portkey will leave without you if you miss it, " explained Remus, "So, unless you have an alternative method of transport available, you're screwed if you're late. If you touch a touch to trigger Portkey too soon, well, you're stranded in the other way."
"Exactly, " said Heather, "Another form of wizard transport is winged horses, especially hippogriffs. There are some witches and wizards that simply aren't confident or comfortable on broomsticks. Winged horses, mainly hippogriffs, serve as a fill in for brooms for such witches and wizards. There's not really much to say here."
"Always treat the horse you're riding with respect, " added Susan, earning her a smile from Amelia.
"Then there's the Knight Bus, " said Heather clearly, "The Knight Bus was constructed in 1865 by a witch named Wendy Wheel and is most commonly used as emergency transportation by stranded witches and wizards. The stranded witch or wizard need simply raise his or her wand hand in the air in a hailing manner."
"So," recognized Harry, "The Knight Bus is for getting lost witches and wizards out of tight spots."
"Yes," said Heather radiantly, glad of how quickly Harry was picking up on things, "But it is also possible to pre book tickets. Some older and less physically able witches and wizards travel on the Knight Bus regularly."
"There's one more biggie, " smirked Amelia.
"Yes," sighed Heather, "Apparition. Apparition and Disapparation is the practice of vanishing from one place and appearing out of thin air in another place!"
"Cool!" piped up Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah together.
Heather felt her heart sink a bit at this reaction but pressed on, "However, I am not going to telling how that works until you are all 16. Apparition is extremely dangerous, and I won't take any chances on any of you being tempted to attempt Apparition while you are too young for it. You know that I don't believe in dumbing things down. But there is still such a thing as age appropriateness and learning how Apparition works is inappropriate for children under the age of 16. By the way, there are plenty of adults who don't bother with it. Prefer brooms and winged horses. Slower but safer. Apparition is exceedingly difficult and can have dire consequences if performed incorrectly. "
"Splinching can occur, " explained Amelia in a businesslike voice. This means that a witch or wizard has left part of himself or herself behind and can't move either way. Has to wait for Ministry officials to sort it out. Apparition requires a license and Apparition without said license is punishable by a fine of up to one hundred galleons."
Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah now all shivered, causing Heather to smile at Amelia.
"Side along Apparition is common, " added Remus, "This, in essence allows people who can't apparate themselves to use this method of magical transport by being taken by someone who can."
"Yes, " said Heather clearly, Side Along Apparition is extremely useful. One last note of interest is that at the Ministry of Magic, there is a Department of Magical Transport that includes an Apparition Test Center, the Floo Network Authority, and Broom Regulatory Control. The Apparition Test Center is self-explanatory. The Floo Network Authority monitors the Floo Network, and the Broom Regulatory Control decides which companies are granted licenses to make flying broomsticks."
"Is that it then?" asked Harry.
"For now, " said Heather.