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Wishing for a Bit of Potter Fantasy in the Real World

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The end is nigh, Potter fans. On Monday, people in the UK started camping out in London’s Trafalgar Square in anticipation of the world premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 that will take place on Thursday, July 7. The Guardian reports that prior to the screening, members of the cast and crew will stroll from a staged Diagon Alley set up in Trafalgar Square to the Odeon theater in Leicester Square. Fans outside of Britain have already made plans to flock to theaters next week, when the film is released world-wide. Yet, through all the excitement and anticipation, this ending is bittersweet. Many who have grown up with the books and movies, feel as if they are bidding farewell to their childhood. In a separate article, Naomi Alderman reflects on the enduring popularity of the series, and muses with a few friends on 7 bits of Harry Potter fantasy that they wish were real.

Flying brooms and the Time-Turner made the list, as expected. Though, there were a few surprising omissions. The Invisibility Cloak was not mentioned, but who couldn’t find a use for that in the real world? Everyone at some point has wanted to access a place that does not welcome regular Joes, or wanted to be a fly on the wall at a particular event. Also not mentioned was the Undetectable Extension Charm that Hermione used to turn her little handbag into a cargo hold when she, Harry and Ron go on the run in Deathly Hallows. This charm would be a godsend to anyone who travels, saving on time, headaches and baggage fees.

Yet, no one can argue with Alderman’s number one wish that equal education, like exists at Hogwarts, was real. “I wish it were true that every child had access to an education that helped them reach their full potential. That whether, like Harry, they’re forced to sleep under a staircase by abusive relatives, or, like Ron, their family aren’t wealthy or, like Hermione, they don’t come from that sort of world – I wish that people in power would make efforts to discover those children’s strengths. That whatever particular problems or special talents they have, they’d be nurtured and supported regardless of wealth or family background.”

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