A Muggle in a Wizards World

Wherever I am in the world, if there is something Harry Potter related, I am normally there. From Melbourne, to New York, to London, there has been a Harry Potter related memory.

Today is a special day, not only is it my amazing husbands birthday, but it is also Harry Potter’s birthday too, so to celebrate, I am going to post about some of the sites or events I have been to over the years as a proud Hufflepuff.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Watford

This is the crème de la crème of all things Potter (that I have experienced so far!) We visited the WB Studio Tour in September during our brief visit to London and this did not disappoint. We were forewarned to book months in advance as the days tend to sell out and I made it my mission every week to check back to see when tickets were finally on sale, besides the flights to Europe, this was the very next thing that was booked and took precedence over every single other thing on the trip.

I will be posting an in-full account of our day there shortly.

Millennium Bridge, London

When we confirmed our flights to London and how many days we were actually there, it was a challenge trying to work out how to fit everything in – and by everything I mean all the Harry Potter sites! Millennium Bridge was one such site as it is famous for its scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as it was destroyed by Death Eaters in the opening scene.

Kings Cross Station/Platform 9 ¾, London

Any Potter fan that goes to London HAS TO visit Kings Cross and the mock of Platform 9 ¾ even just for a laugh. We managed to go past the fake platform when it was ‘closed’ so took a sneaky selfie without a massive gawking crowd there. When it is open, they have a trolley and literally have someone there to hold your scarf to make it look like you are running at the platform, it is pretty funny. I did however go back during open hours to visit the gift shop there as it had some wicked cool items.

St Pancras International, London

The external of this building was used during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Harry and Ron miss their train and decide to take the car to school… Thankfully it is located right next door to Kings Cross Station so you don’t have to wander far to view it!

Piccadilly Circus, London

Piccadilly Circus was had a memorable scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows after Harry, Ron and Hermione Apparate from a wedding and then they narrowly miss being hit by a bus.

Australia House, London

We just happened to stumble upon Australia House while wandering around London (and that day we walked over 15km, so I guess we stumbled across a lot of places!) Though us mere Muggles couldn’t go inside,the interior of Australia House is the inspiration for Gringotts Bank in the Harry Potter movies.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition, New York

When we ventured across the New York, it just so happened to be when a major Harry Potter exhibit was being featured at Discovery Times Square. It featured original sets, props and costumes and at the time was the greatest Harry Potter thing we had experienced. You could have a go at playing some Quidditch, or planting some Mandrakes, it was a very interactive experience which I would highly recommend if it ever travels around again.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Melbourne

Our hometown managed to snag the rights to the play and it has been flat-chat ever since it opened here. Being the massive nerd-herd I am, I was already signed up on the waitlist for tickets to be released and we thankfully scored tickets to see it before it officially opened. We did the double header, seeing both parts of it in the one day – yes it was a long, long, long day, but so worth it!