The Enchanted Vehicles of the Wizarding World

RoyalMail recently issued a series of special stamps dedicated to the celebrated Harry Potter books. This is certainly not the first time that J.K. Rowling’s magical world of wizards and muggles has been featured on postage. This series, however, caught my eye particularly since they feature the most memorable objects of the stories.

Enter the Hogwarts Express, boarding from platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station (which was first immortalised by the Monopoly board game) in London;

Hogwarts students were free to choose their prefered method via which to get to their magical school in the highlands of Scotland. While some chose to fly in on their broomsticks, others used carts and carriages. A few tried apparation, but this generally had disastrous effects given that the school is shrouded in anti-apparation charms. Then there were attempts at getting there using floo powder or via portkeys. The latter had resulted in as many as 30% of children not showing up, mainly because the children either couldn’t locate them, or some unsuspecting muggle had walked off with them!

In the early 18th century, the strong willed Ottaline Gambol, the Minister for Magic at the time executed a daring plan to procure a gleaming red steam engine bearing number 5972 from “somewhere”. Thanks 167 memory charms and the largest concealment charm ever performed on British soil, the Hogwarts Express made it’s appearance in Hogsmead.

Coincidentally, perhaps, the Crewe railway workers appeared to have misplaced a train at the same time.

Though many a parent had initially showed skeptisism regarding traditional muggle transportation for their children, these concerns were quickly laid to rest when the Ministry declared that the children rode the train, or didn’t go to school at all.

Arthur Weasley’s Ford Anglia

A faithful worker at the Ministry of Magic, Arthur Weasley loved the curious items produced by muggles. He often took them and performed unauthorised magic upon them. The flying Ford Anglia was one of these; the use of which went comically wrong when three of his sons decided to drive/fly it to school!

Bearing licence plate number 7990 TD, the light blue Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe was produced in the Ford factory in UK in 1962. But when it ended up with Mr. Weasley, he performed a number of enchantments upon it, including giving it the ability to fly, making it invicible to muggles and making it spacious enough to accomodate his entire family in spite of it’s modest size as seen from the outside.

The last time that this car was in the news, it had been driven erratically by his son Ron and ended up getting a thrashing from the Whomping Willow in the grounds ajoining Hogwarts Castle. While the wizards landed in all manners of trouble, the tree and the car remained in surprisingly good condition after the collission.

The Knight Bus

How nice to have obstacles jumping out of the way of a vehicle. The triple decker Knight bus, is a modified, purple hued AEC Regent III RT bus which was the standard busses one found on the streets of London in the 1950s and 1960s. This particular vehicle though was manufactured in 1865.

The Knight Bus, which plows the street at alarming speeds, provides transport for standard witches and wizards. Stan Shunpike explains the Knight Bus to Harry when he first encounters it, and tells him that muggles can not see the bus, because they “Never notice nuffink, they don”.

I couldn’t help but draw parallels between this bus and the tuktuks of Sri Lanka which somehow manage to squeeze their way in between any two vehicles that are on the road. The bus comes out unscathed, and continues thundering along the streets of England. (I certainly can’t always say the same for the tuktuks though!)

Hagrid’s Motorbike

It would just not be right if Rubeus Hagrid didn’t have something extraordinary in his possession, and his enchanted motorbike is one which Royal Mail thought fit to immortalise in a stamp.

This bike is modelled after the British-made classic, the 1959 Triumpt T120 Bonneville. Originally owned by Sirius Black, the bike makes its first appearence in book 1. Harry’s godfather lent it to Hagrid to help transport Harry to Privet Drive, where he is delivered to the Dursleys.

The 2nd time the bike appears is in the last book, where Harry rides in the sidecar in an attempt to escape an ambush as he leaves the house on Privet Drive for the last time. By this time, the bike had received some modifications from Aurthur Weasley.

In real life, the side car comes from Watsonian Squire, a company that has been manufacturing them since 1912 and maintains the classic vibe, which is clearly needed for the Harry Potter movies.

** All stamps and photographs used in this post are part of the author’s personal collection.

References :

Wizarding World

National Motor Museum

Harry Potter Wiki

Motorious

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