Harry Potter fans gather at Kings Cross for annual 'Back to Hogwarts' day
Harry Potter fans descend on Kings Cross station for an annual celebration, as Jay Akbar reports
Despite a train strike impacting services in and out of London, hundreds of fans gathered at Kings Cross station on Friday morning for the ‘Back to Hogwarts’ celebration.
The fictional back to school day takes place annually on September 1st at the London station that JK Rowling wrote about in the seven-book wizarding series.
Dressed in house colours and character costumes, the Wizarding World enthusiasts counted down to 11:00am when the Hogwarts Express departs Platform nine and three quarters for Hogsmeade village.
Super-fan Arnauv Partukar, aged 11 from Essex, was chosen to be on stage in front of fans as the countdown took place.
“I won the competition of a lifetime!”, he said.
“When I got chosen, I was so excited. I was like, yes, yes, yes, yes!”
Joining Arnauv at the event was fellow Harry Potter enthusiast and self-described honorary Hufflepuff, Sam Thompson.
Sam also attended the event last year, and said: “What I love about this fanbase is that everyone’s so enthusiastic and so positive. It’s just so nice to see everybody – it’s really nice to reconnect.”
Despite the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, being published 16 years ago in 2007, and the final film just three years later in 2010, fans still came out in their masses to celebrate.
One mother who attended with her two daughters explained, “Harry Potter is for the whole family, and it’s going to stand the test of time.”
Fans were also joined by members of the West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Michelle Gale, who plays Hermoine Granger, was attending her first Back to Hogwarts day, and was enjoying the camaraderie.
“I’ve seen an enormous amount of people who are fans of the show – wearing their house colours and house uniforms”
“It’s just a great community,” she said.
At the event, fans were able to test their wizarding skills with a wand, play Harry Potter-inspired video games and relax with a butterbeer. They could even get a temporary tattoo dedicated to their chosen house.
As 11:00am grew closer, boards showed the upcoming journey to “Hogsmeade, calling at Hogsmeade only.”
According to the board, the Hogwarts Express service was expected to run on time.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...