Harry Potter fans were treated to a magical event at London King's Cross station on Thursday, while celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of J K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Back to Hogwarts welcomed hundreds of people to the fictional Platform 9 3⁄4, with some dressed up as characters from the novels. There, a specially made departure board was lit up and announcements were made ahead of the Hogwarts Express's 11am departure.
The event brought to life scenes from the original book, where young witches and wizards venture onto the platform to board the train to Hogwarts school.
There were also wand combat workshops as well as a rendition of a wand dance by the West End cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
King's Cross station is already a popular tourist attraction for Harry Potter fans, where part of a luggage trolley has been embedded into the wall. The station's platforms four and five were used in the film versions.
Since its release on June 26, 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold 120 million copies and counting, while more than 500 million copies of the entire seven-book series have flown off the shelves.
Fans in the UAE can also experience their own Harry Potter magic in Abu Dhabi when the pop-up, Harry Potter: Celebrate Hogwarts, opens next Friday at Abu Dhabi Mall. Running until October 4, the most famous school of witchcraft and wizardry will be brought to life with a series of walk-through activations featuring recreations of popular settings from the films.
Visitors will get the chance to climb Hogwarts's grand staircase, take a seat in the Gryffindor common room and pay Hagrid's hut a visit. There is also a life-sized recreation of the Hogwarts Express to enjoy and a Forbidden Forest to walk through.
The most fervent Potterheads will be able to test their knowledge with trivia quizzes on Saturdays and Sundays, and there will be fun games set up throughout the activation.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the Harry Potter Experience in Dubai in January
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'Harry Potter' Hogwarts experience ran at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai earlier this year. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National -
The experience is interactive with broomsticks to sit on and games of Quidditch to play. -
Hagrid's hut is an illusion room, making visitors look much bigger or smaller than each other. -
Hogwarts's moving staircases are represented. -
Try your hand at a potions class, which activates the cauldron and generates a cloud of green smoke. -
You can buy robes for your choice of Hogwarts house - Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin. -
Try and learn spells with the interactive wand and tutorials. -
Guests can try on Gryffindor robes in the house's cosy common room. -
The smoking green cauldron in the potions room. -
'Harry Potter' merchandise is on sale. -
The Harry Potter: Celebrate Hogwarts experience was open during the Dubai Shopping Festival. -
Get up-close to a model of Dobby the house elf at the Harry Potter: Celebrate Hogwarts experience at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. -
Catch the Hogwarts Express on Platform 9 3/4. -
There are models of Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter.
The experience is free to enter, but certain areas will only be accessible with Activity Passports. Shoppers can exchange Abu Dhabi Mall receipts from that day for passports; for every Dh100 spent, shoppers will receive two passports, while for every Dh200 spent they will receive up to five. All Abu Dhabi Mall shops are included, except the hypermarket.
In Dubai, the stage production Potted Potter is set to be shown on October 22 and 23 at the Theatre by QE2. The performance is a condensed retelling of the seven novels, created by, and starring, Olivier Award nominees Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner. The show features all of the series' most popular characters, with a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon, a game of Quidditch, comedy costumes, songs and work arounds to bring Hogwarts magic to life.
Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures of Harry Potter books
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A first edition copy of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by English author JK Rowling at Bonhams auctioneers in London before the Fine Books, Manuscripts, Atlases and Historical Photographs sale on March 27, 2019. Reuters -
A rare first edition of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' signed by author JK Rowling on show at Christie's auction house in London. Reuters -
JK Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' came out on June 26, 1997. Reuters -
'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by English author JK Rowling was introduced to American readers as 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'. Reuters -
'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by English author JK Rowling was the first book in a series of seven and the beginning of a multimedia phenomenon. PA -
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' is the second book in the series by JK Rowling. Photo: Bloomsbury -
The third book in JK Rowling's series was 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'. Photo: Scholastic -
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ came next. Reuters -
A young reader holds a copy of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', the fifth book of the series. Reuters -
Polly-Jane Cunningham and Harriet Bryant, both avid Harry Potter fans, were among the first in Abu Dhabi to view the sixth film 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' on Thursday, July 16, 2009. Delores Johnson / The National -
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by JK Rowling is the final book in the series.
