>

There isn't really amy requirement to take the train, it's just the most convenient option for most folks and allows the kids time to socialise. Nothing is stopping the kids from just being taken to hogsmede and catching up with the rest of the students when they arrive via the train.
This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.
Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"
(For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)
Rule-breaking posts may result in bans. >

I just assumed that was the closest station for those kids and there were other stops along the way.
That being said, I've never read the books, so I don't know if that was addressed or not. >

Yeah they never say "this is the only train station on this line".  I've always assumed there were more stops. >

I mean Harry and Ron fly there in the car right, so it's not like an alternate dimension only accessible through 9 3/4. >

I mean, it kinda is, magically protected/hidden.  But you can get there by other magical means.
I don't think Voldemort and his army all crammed into the train, with Tokyo porters squeezing them in so the doors can close. >

Anything from the trolley, dea(th eate)rs? >

"Do they have any death?" >

"Or cake? I'd rather have cake, really, especially if it has that nice thick buttercream icing. Oh, and sprinkles! I really ~~love~~ like sprinkles. Almost as much as death, I mean, of course." >

Well, we're out of cake! We only had three bits and we didn't expect such a rush! >

I'll have the chicken, then. >

Tastes of human, sir. >

Saving this because I desperately wanna re-enact it in dark academia style with a ridiculous English accent (with a lot of rolled r's for dramatic and comedic effect) >


with a ridiculous English accent

That would be pretty weird, considering it's supposed to be a Scottish accent >

Well, a ridiculous Scottish accent wouldn't be understood by anyone except the Scots so... >

Irrelevant since even aliens can recognize an obliterating Scottish accent >

Nah, aliens would have speech filters, maybe a tiny fish inserted in the ear or some such. >

I see what you did there.
Grab your towel. >

Make sure you find someone to make you a sandwich >

When I saw this comment in my notifications, from "LadyDicks", my first thought was "oh no, WTF did I say to get that response. Am I cancelled?" >

Imagine getting an owl, entering your train station through a wall, on your way to a magical place and then getting to wait somewhere, because you slow as ass steam train has to let faster muggle trains pass. >

Why don’t the wizards just embrace technology they can have both lmao as they said in Dr. Strange “we’re not savages” >

I think electricity goes haywire around magic >

It goes haywire at Hogwarts because there's so much magic all condensed in one place everything presumably operates normally in the buildings near Diagon Alley >

Then you would think two way magic mirrors like the one sirius gave Harry would be extremely in high demand. Wonder if it could be enchanted to link to other mirrors. >

They seem really easy to forget you have. Like that time Harry could have just used it to say hey to Sirius instead of a the string of events that happened instead. 
Literally the reason he gave it you, Harry. Moron. >

I would imagine they use floo powder to get closer or arrange something with the school >

Floo powder, port keys, aparation, one of the million other methods of teleporting across the UK... >

Muggle-borns tho? I guess Hogwarts could send them a portkey by owl or something lol >

Being teleported would be a pretty intense introduction to magic for a 10 year old >

Tbf, so is running through a brick wall. >

And remember, dear Muggle born, you have to believe you can teleport, or things may go... Awry. >

don’t they have to go to London for school supplies anyway? I mean, aside from muggle borns, and orphans, it doesn’t seem to be much of a trip to get to London. That being said, now I’m curious how those groups got their books, robes, and wands. Was Hagrid escort all of them? Also how many got held back by protective parents? I mean, Buffalo bill shows up at your house, reciting your recent Sunday letter about your kid being special and a magical boarding school… you should be a bit skeptical. >

In the book it’s explained that a teacher goes with the letter to the muggle house and explains, they then escort the muggle family to Diagon alley and help them with their stuff for
School. >

Man imagine how much it sucks. You are a kid and you have dreams and aspirations if being something like a scientist or a pilot or your family wants to induct you to the famioy business then a LARPer comes at your doorstep and basically forces you to drop everything and change your life because you are going to become a wizard now. Get used to a whole new world that absolutely loathsome you exist and plops you into a school for years only letting you go home on holidays. A world that is not only hostile to you culturally but also physically in that you can die just from practicing your homework wrong.
Although because this takes place in the late 90s I can just imagine the fun exchanges.
"Heh you freak, you don't belong around here mudblood."
"Yeah but when I go home for summer I have a computer that can run DOOM and watch Die Hard again and again on VHS. What do you do you in your spare time, medieval peasant?" >

Are they forced? I imagine they don’t kidnap them if the parents/guardians and/or kids say no. Unless they are clearly abusive like the Dursleys >

I would imagine they are pretty heavily persuaded as if children don’t learn to control their magic they can become Obscurials. >


Obscurials

Thought that was from supressing the magic (via abuse), not from not honing it. >

According to Wiki -

Obscurials are magical children who attempt to repress their magical abilities. If kept unchecked, this repression corrupts the user's magic, creating a dark parasite force known as an obscurus. >

They did take the car in the 2nd book so why assume that the train is the only way to hogwarts? >

I was just thinking, they flew the car to school when they missed the train. Hogwarts , is just unfindable to muggles >

Their parents just bring them to the Hogsmeade train station and they take the Thestral carriages from there. First years take Hagrid's boats, of course. >

Every time someone makes an observation about the Harry Potter world, they generally forget a very key detail: Wizards are weird as hell >

Arkham's Razor is in full effect when discussing Harry Potter >

Ah yes Arkham's Razor. All things being equal, the most insane and convoluted plan that has a single point of failure most likely to be thwarted, is the one we're going with. >

Exactly. Instead of having, say, a series of Portkeys designed to take the students to and from Hogwarts every break, let's add a secret platform through an illusory wall to what's probably the busiest train station in all of London. Let's also make sure there are no backups, so anyone who misses the train misses a term >

Efficiency is not the point. Tradition is. If I had to schlep from Glasgow to London, back to Scotland, then so does my kid. >

When schlepping is stepping through your fireplace it's not much of a hassle lol. It'd be quicker to get to London than it was to get dressed for the trip. My corner shop is further away when you factor in the travel options 
As for why a train in pretty sure the books explain the logistic reasoning somewhere but it's also a great first networking event for wizarding kids and muggleborns.
A steam train isn't quite as jarring to the muggle parents as seeing their kid spaghettified away by an old boot too haha >

Isn’t it a fun social right of passage thing? 
Do you want to be the kid who’s dad drops them off at the front gate while all the other kids have had fun eating sweets and gossiping? >

Yea it’s fun the first time. When you’re doing it 4 times a year for 6 years it can get a little tedious >

Right because the last thing a bunch of teens want is a bit of time to reconnect with friends before classes start. >

The train was always described as very full. I assumed this was deliberate, to force kids to socialize >

Other than the fantasy aspect,  probably was better to teleport to the town that was nearby and walk to hogwarts than taking the train. >

Hog warts is in the highlands it’s more or less impossible to walk there but they can use boats and flying carreges >

I think he meant use a teletab to hogsmeed or whatever that place where Aberforths pub is. 
Sorry for spelling, I haven't read HP in ages so dunno how to spell the dumb ass names JK rolling came up with >

It's like flying Delta.  You're gonna have to go through Cincinnati >

Atlanta for me. >

Yeah, Atlanta is the main hub for Delta. >

No! Ancient Atlanta was more than just a Delta hub. It was a vibrant metropolis, the equal of Paris or New York! ...Turner Field, the Coca-Cola bottling plant, the, uh, the airport. >

But tell us, how could a city with such a ... fabulous airport end up underwater? >

Surprised no one has mentioned the wizard cup visiting schools all arrived in their own cool way via ships and what not.