Harry Potter fans celebrate Hogwarts’ return in London ahead of new series
Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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New plan
- Hundreds of fans from around the world gathered in London to celebrate the fictional return to Hogwarts on Sept. 1.
- HBO Max recreated the Platform 9¾ experience at the former Old Billingsgate market to mark more than 25 years of the franchise and promote the new series.
- Fans could board the Hogwarts Express, send owl-post letters, wear house uniforms and take part in a countdown before the series’ Christmas Day release.
Hundreds of Harry Potter fans gathered in London to recreate the annual Sept. 1 return to Hogwarts, this time at a riverside venue ahead of the franchise’s new television series.
For me it is a dream. I cannot believe I am here. Who would have told me at 11 that I would be in London living through such an important moment as Sept. 1, the return home?
The original story sends Harry Potter to King’s Cross station at 11 a.m. on the first day of September to catch the train from Platform 9¾. To ease pressure on the real station, HBO Max moved the celebration to the former Old Billingsgate market beside the River Thames.
The interactive event marked more than 25 years of the saga and introduced a new era with new faces. Visitors could board the Hogwarts Express, send letters through a magical owl post, wear their house uniforms and wait for the train with the familiar countdown. The series is scheduled to launch on Christmas Day.
Changed my life
Dozens of Harry Potter influencers from Europe and Latin America attended among the first guests. Spanish content creator Jenn Royal described the event as a dream and said she could not believe she was in London for such an important Sept. 1.
A gift
Madrid-based creator Sergio Casas, known online as El Traslador, said the first film changed his life and called the new series a gift for fans. He hoped it would bring scenes and characters from the books that did not appear in the films, with fresher storytelling and more developed plots. A mother and daughter, Rishla and Josephine, also said they wanted to share the new series after reading the books and watching the films together.
Freshness and more developed plots
About this summary
Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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