Harry Potter

    All around the world fans alike share ideas and interest of a mythical and magical place depicted by a series of novels known as the Harry Potter saga.  This has grown to become one of the most popular fandoms in the world due to its sheer interest from the public.  Fans of the series cosplay as their favorite characters, partake in the sports described in the saga, and even go to the wizarding world of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida so they too can experience what Harry Potter has.  The continued, and growing fan interest is what keeps this fandom alive and thriving today.  Re-creations of food, clothing, locations from the novels are all over the internet for even the most inexperienced fan to get involved and partake in.  The fandom is so large that according to the Wizarding world official website states that 1 out of 15 people on the planet own a harry potter book on average showcasing how large the audience truly is (2).

Wizarding World

The wizarding world of Harry Potter is a place that all members of the fandom dream of since it brings many aspects of the fictional world to life.  In an article published to park nerds, Anne Grant said, "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts certainly leaves its riders in awe" (1).  Along with that, Anne also stated how the other rides depict magical experiences with scenery that is conjoined with what is described in the Harry Potter novels (1).   Fans all over the world travel to this location so that they too can enter the mythical realm and bring the imagination to life.  Along with rides, the Wizarding world has items to purchase such as interactive wands that when activated can allow the user to conduct spells which will cause something to happen just with the flick of the wrist.  Grant stated, "Between the park’s witches and wizards going about their day among the muggle tourists and the opportunity to witness magic around every corner, guests at Diagon Alley will truly feel as though they’ve been written into the novels" (1).  This showcases the impact these small experiences have on the witch and wizard fans of all ages.  

Quidditch

Another way the fans have gotten involved in this fandom is by participating in the fictional sport of Quidditch.  Quidditch is a sport that was introduced to the Harry Potter saga in the first novel and continues throughout the rest of the series keeping the avid fans well informed with the sport.  Since the books release a real-life league has been started known as the Quidditch World Cup.  According to Alasdair university, students all around the globe compete in the fictional game with some adjusted rules since they cannot ride flying broomsticks (6).  Quidditch is a great example of how passionate this fandom is because to the outside eye, one may look at these people as crazy riding with a broomstick between their legs, but to the fans this is what they thrive on.  The passion and dedication are all the things that keeps the annual quidditch tournament and the magic alive.  

LeakyCon

Almost every great fandom has some sort of convention for fans to gather and share their love for the fandom.  Harry Potter is not exempt from this and every year a convention is hosted known as LeakyCon.  This is an annual convention that takes place in different locations all around the globe.  It gets its name from a fictional location in the Harry Potter universe known as the Leaky Cauldron (4).  Every year fans assemble at LeakyCon where actors from the films regularly attend, and host meet and greets.  According to the Harry Potter fandom wiki, musical groups such as the viral video sensations the potter puppet pals, and the rock band Harry and the Potters attend just about every year (6).  Along with famous actors and musicians, fans can get involved by cosplaying as their favorite characters from the novels/films with some even going to the extent of not breaking character during the entire convention.  People travel from all around the globe to see their favorite actors and be a part of this one-of-a-kind fandom (5).

House Sorting

If you were to ask any member of this fandom what their house is, they would have an answer for you.  One of the most important pieces of the Harry Potter books is the sorting of houses that each student of Hogwarts receives in their first moments of arriving at the fictional school.  There is a sorting hat that each student puts on and it tells them one of four houses, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and the prominent Gryffindor (3).  Although there is no hat in real life that can talk, fans have created an online quiz that asks questions about your personality and then assigns you to a house based on those answers (7).  Once fans discover what house they are a part of they tend to purchase merchandise related to that particular house and some even take character traits associated with that house.  Some fans even go as far as basing their entire personality around that given house by changing their qualities about them to match those of the houses.

Overall, the world of Harry potter has obtained a massive following that is continuing to grow every single day.  From fans partaking in the fictional sport of quidditch, to taking a personality quiz that sorts you into one of the four fictional houses, fans all over the globe are finding new and innovative ways to get involved in this fandom.  As new parts of the saga are released, more and more people will hop aboard the Hogwarts express and enter a new realm that is the Harry Potter Fandom.  

References

(1) Grant, A. (2022, November 5). Which Universal Orlando Park Is Better for Harry Potter Fans? Park Nerds. https://parknerds.com/universal-orlando-park-for-harry-potter-fans/

(2) Just seven reasons that show why we all still love Harry Potter books in 2020 | Wizarding World. (2020). www.wizardingworld.com. https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/just-seven-reasons-that-show-why-we-all-still-love-harry-potter

(3) Lane, K. S. (n.d.). Harry Potter: The Four Hogwarts Houses Explained. Owlcation. Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/humanities/Harrypotterhouses#:~:text=This%20article%20explores%20some%20of%20the%20key%20traits

(4) LeakyCon. (n.d.). Harry Potter Wiki. Retrieved from https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/LeakyCon

(5) LeakyCon. (n.d.). www.leakycon.com. https://www.leakycon.com/

(6) There’s a Real-Life Quidditch World Cup, and Someone Just Made a Documentary About It. (2014, June 13). PEDESTRIAN.TV. https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/theres-a-real-life-quidditch-world-cup-and-someone-just-made-a-documentary-about-it/

(8) Wilson, C. (2017, October 16). The Ultimate Harry Potter Fan Quiz: Find Out Which House You Truly Belong In.  Retrieved from https://time.com/4809884/harry-potter-house-sorting-hat-quiz/