Even if you’d never heard of the boat type, it seems easy enough to just assume from context that “punting” was some weird British-ism synonymous with ferrying, rather than Filch drop-kicking students.
Frankly speaking Filch drop-kicking students is entirely in character. Also us Americans will 100% accept weird shit if it doesnt try explaining itself. We have to exist within the same environment as opossum and racoon after all.
In character, sure, but physically improbable. Maybe Hagrid would’ve been big and strong enough to drop-kick teenagers dozens of feet across a swamp, but not Filch.
Even if you’d never heard of the boat type, it seems easy enough to just assume from context that “punting” was some weird British-ism synonymous with ferrying, rather than Filch drop-kicking students.
Frankly speaking Filch drop-kicking students is entirely in character. Also us Americans will 100% accept weird shit if it doesnt try explaining itself. We have to exist within the same environment as opossum and racoon after all.
In character, sure, but physically improbable. Maybe Hagrid would’ve been big and strong enough to drop-kick teenagers dozens of feet across a swamp, but not Filch.
Honestly my reading was moreso that he was kicking them to get them to move across the swamp, like using a stick to herd animals.