I was just reading a fic, and suddenly remembered something from GoF. The portkey departs from the centre of the maze, but when it arrives back at Hogwarts it appears outside the maze. Obviously this was just a plot hole/error by JKR, but it could lead to an interesting thought about 2 way portkeys.

If when you create a two way portkey, and thats assuming a two way portkey is any different from a one way portkey and they aren't the same thing, do you set 2 specific locations? Or just two general locations? If its two specific ones, could it perhaps lead to the supposition that when the portkey is embarked upon from a position different from the point of arrival for the return journey, could that different in departure position lead to a difference in arrival position?

When Harry and Cedric arrived in the graveyard they basically dropped the cup. When Harry left, he had to summon it, I think the book says it was just out of arms reach. Which kind of throws off my theory about a direct relations between arrival and departure position, but could it possibly be that by departing from a non-specified point you through an element of randomness into the process? I'm imagining it as a kind of elastic band type thing, with no guarentee exactly where it would land them, only that it would be the vicinity of the specified point.

What says you all?

 

That is very beliavable. Maybe two way portkey does no have return place programmes in it, but it has a direction like: 500 kilometres nort from where it is presently, so if you move the portkey to some other place, destination of your return changes adequately.

BTW, sorry for my bad English. I hope your eyes did not burn out (would be a shame).

 

To be honest I thought a charm had been placed on the cup/pedestal. That way, when the cup was lifted, the charm had the maze disappear. Complex transfiguration sure, but it'd just add to the whole effect. Does it ever say the maze is still their afterwards?

However, I think that all portkeys are 2 way. Otherwise, it'd be simple to just make the cup a one way portkey. Then again, that could just be a plot hole by JK.

The idea of two different locations is certainly intriguing however. It would be useful, by taking a portkey to the Ministry (for escorts) and then the same one to Azkaban (for detaining). I think there would be key words that trigger the certain destinations though. For example, going with my previous example, what if the suspect was innocent? In order to save the effort ok making another portkey, they could quite easily key the word "Innocent" to the suspects house. By saying Azkaban instead, you go to Azkaban.

The cup wouldn't have had a key word, becauseit was supposed to be a one way trip for Harry. Therefore, the activation was simply touch.

 

If portkeys are supposed to be programmed to go to two specific locations, then wouldn't the portkey that Harry touched not have sent him back to Hogwarts?

Assuming that Crouch programmed it, wouldn't he set its destination for the graveyard for both times? Crouch seemed pretty clever, as he was able to impersonate Mad-Eye Moody for nearly a whole school year. Although, he was pretty rash in the end of the book. Still, wouldn't it seem odd that he would make such a simple mistake?

On a side note, I thought that portkeys shouldn't have been able to work at Hogwarts. Maybe I just missed something in one of the books. Anybody care to explain?

 

I hope I'm not bumping...

I thought that Crouch just made the portkey at that exact spot where they landed with the graveyard in mind. The portkey automaticly works two ways the way I think about it; so when harry touched it again. It took him to the spot where it had been created.

Although I like the elastic band theory... maybee there is always a general randomness to a landing. Based on the creator of each portkey that could take them anywhere from feet away, to meters. Personally I want to know what would happen if Harry was standing the exact location where the portkey was destined to go.

Speaking of portkey's, what if... breif scenario here.

Harry's trapped in a battle. Death eaters on one side, order on the other. The order members toss him a portkey, at the exact same time the death eaters throw one as well.

Both portkeys work and pull him away. Making... Clone Harry!
Or squib harry and Magic harry
Or evil twin Harry
or boy who lived prophecy harry and ordinary wizard Harry.

Or some other mix... That would be a kick ass story in my opinion.

 

Maybe if the Portkey encounters an Unidentified Plot Device en route it just dumps the travellers wherever their landing would have the greatest dramatic effect.

 

But of course... Unidentified plot devices always seem to be the cause of such things.

 

I have a better question- why was the portkey 2-way? Crouch intended that Harry die at the graveyard, and Cedric coming was an accident. Maybe the portkey was one-way, but because it left Hogwarts' wards it got an enchantment on it that would return the portkeyed to Hogwarts. The landing location could then be explained by the wards transporting the portkeyed to somewhere in the vicinity of the Headmaster.

 

It was 2-way because it had to be...for the purposes of the plot.

To explain it in canon terms...hmmmmm perhaps it was 2 way because Voldemort intended to send Harry's body back by it.

 

I'd agree with Mordecai on that point. Voldemort probably wanted to send back his body, but then again Voldemort didn't want anyone to know about dark activity or his ressurection so that seems a little odd.

I don't think there is any sort of randomized landing within a certain distance as the portkey was placed in the middle of a large maze and landed him outside it. That's a hundred yards or so of random: not likely.

Honestly, it's probably just a plot hole of Rowlings that she didn't catch. For the point of this thread though, and the question of what you could do with it, there's hundreds of different things.

As Harry tears into his next Christmas present, one of the usual sweaters from Mrs. Weasley, he spots another package laying underneath most of the usual. Curious, he reaches over and grabs it, not ready for the sudden lurch behind his navel and the ominous fear that lances through him.

Suddenly he stops, landing on the rough ground behind a large bush in the middle of what he suspected was a very dense forest, if the trees around him were any indication. "The portkey just activated!" He hears as the rushing in his head begins to calm. Suddenly another, much more sinister, voice askes,

"Well then where is he Lucius?" He knew what was going on; Lord Voldemort had finally succeeded in getting Harry away from his protections. Sitting up and pulling out his wand, thankful that it was still jammed tightly in his back pocket, Harry peaked over the edge to see three Death Eaters, one being Lucius Malfoy, and Lord Voldemort

See what I mean? The portkey lands him in a different place than it was supposed to and he ends up nurfing the fuck out of the whole group. Fun for a plot line.

 

while that would be nice to read... personally it makes the most sense to me that a portkey is always two ways. The first location is the one the caster intends it to go... the second is the location it was created.

I agree that voldemort wouldn't announce harry's death right away... he'd probably save it for after he's ready and then portkey him into diagon alley or something.

The return location was probably a snaffu in barty's plans... they were probably hoping that harry wouldn't do the smart thing and immiedietly portkey right back.

Oh theres something... maybee after each trip... a portkey takes a few minutes to charge again before it can be used.

Just a thought.

 

This was the explanation my mind came up with for the plot hole. It figures that Voldemort would have wanted to send the corpse of Dumbledore's golden boy back to him, and it would also serve as a signal to Crouch Jr. that his job was done.


Some people have also theorized that the cup was to be used to allow the Death Eaters and Voldemort access to Hogwarts for a surprise attack. While I can see some logic in that - the surprise of the attack would have been a huge aid and many important officials were there - there's also a few gaping holes in the theory. I doubt Voldemort would have wanted to risk so much so soon after regaining his body.

The last theory I've heard is that Harry's own magic screwed up the portkey's normal return location. The idea says that in Harry's condition his desire to get to Dumbledore overrode the portkey's normal destination location. This idea, frankly, sucks in my opinion.

Those concepts aside, I think the idea that point of origin effects destination. It provides an extra element of risk when using a portkey. You moved twenty feet to the left and used your portkey? Oh, so sorry...you just arrived inside a wall. It would certainly spice up all those "Oh the Death Eaters escaped with their 'emergency' portkeys. Shucks."

What makes the entire issue more problematic for me is keeping actual canon facts on portkeys seperate from fanon. This mainly comes into play for me in relation to a portkey and the Hogwarts wards. Somewhere I got the idea that only the Headmaster could create a portkey that would work into or out of Hogwarts wards. Is this canon or fanon? If it's canon then the entire tri-wizard cup/portkey issue is such a gaping plot hole it's not even funny.