All about... Severus Snape

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[*Click here to learn about one of Professor Snape's favourite students, Draco Malfoy.*](/features/pottermore-draco-malfoy-infographic "All about... Draco Malfoy")

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What if Dumbledore had told Harry that he was the chosen one from the beginning?

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Dumbledore and Harry stand near the Pensieve in the Half Blood Prince

In our new series, we explore 'what if' scenarios in the Wizarding World - and ponder, hypothetically, how things could have been.  

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There are many things that Albus Dumbledore does in the Harry Potter series that have left us stroking our beards and wishing we had a spell to tell us exactly what he was thinking.  

Why, for example, didn’t he tell Harry in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* that he knew that Draco would attempt to kill him? It might have been handy, too, if Harry had known of Dumbledore’s friendship with Grindelwald. Given that for most of *Half-Blood Prince*, Dumbledore knew that he was dying, why didn’t he just tell Harry that he was a horcrux or that Snape was in love with Lily? 

Of course, there are a multitude of reasons for why Dumbledore didn’t share these facts – the biggest being that, despite his incredible mind, he was fallible like the rest of us. Still, it’s intriguing to wonder what might have happened had Dumbledore divulged some secrets. In fact, if we had a Time-Turner wouldn’t it be fun to go back and see what might have occurred if Dumbledore had shared more details with Harry? For example: what if Dumbledore had told Harry from the beginning that he was the Chosen One? 

Naturally, given that at the beginning of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone* Harry didn’t even know that he was from the wizarding world, it might have been information overload for an 11-year-old to be told not only could he use magic but that he was also at the centre of a prophecy in which either he or the darkest wizard of all time would have to die in order for either of them to survive. 

However, by the end of that first book, Harry had faced and, at least for that moment, defeated Voldemort. Lying in the hospital wing after his confrontation, he is visited by Dumbledore, who, when quizzed, is unable to tell Harry why Voldemort tried to kill him in the first place. “When you are ready,” Dumbledore says, “you will know.” 



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Harry showing his scar to Ron on the Hogwarts Express 

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Imagine, though, that in that moment, Dumbledore – the only person with knowledge of the true prophecy – had shared that information with Harry. Well, it would have changed everything. 

It’s not unfair to say that Harry has a hero complex. If you take *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, instead of really trying to alert the Order about his visions of Sirius at the Department of Mysteries, he takes the word of a miserable house-elf and heads to London, putting him, his friends and the Order at risk. If Harry had already known about the prophecy, his eagerness to help may have been tempered. In fact, it could have ultimately saved Sirius.

With that knowledge, Harry might actually have focused on learning Occlumency, too. While his connection to Voldemort saved Arthur Weasley’s life, it also put numerous people at risk, Harry included. It might also have saved a lot of angst in *Order of the Phoenix* as Dumbledore wouldn’t have had to give Harry the cold shoulder for a year. 


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Voldemort holding his wand in the Ministry of Magic from the Order of the Phoneix 

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Indeed, with the foresight that he would one day have to vanquish Voldemort or perish himself, you can’t help but wonder whether Harry might have held on to a smidgen of self-preservation. Instead of descending into the Chamber of Secrets, he might have known not to get involved. Likewise with the Triwizard Tournament – while Harry couldn’t have prevented his name being entered, surely an awareness of the prophecy could have meant that he failed all the tasks (perhaps on purpose). It could have stopped Voldemort’s full return and given Harry more time to really train himself for the final battle. 

Indeed, the knowledge that he is the Chosen One doesn’t mean that during the Battle of Hogwarts Harry balks at the brave and distressing decision he makes to sacrifice himself for his friends and the rest of the wizarding world. However, if he had just been given more time, it could have prevented the battle in totality. 


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Nevertheless, all of this is subject to the idea that the notion of being the Chosen One doesn’t affect Harry’s wellbeing. Snape always called him arrogant, and there’s every chance that knowledge of the prophecy could have gestated inside Harry, giving him an inflamed sense of importance. Who knows what an enlarged ego could have done to Harry Potter. It’s likely he may have turned out like Gilderoy Lockhart, leaning into his celebrity. Such a profile would make it easy for the Ministry of Magic to use Harry as their pawn, and when Voldemort ultimately returned (which, no matter the order of events, would have happened), it’s debatable whether the wizarding world would have had the capacity to fight him off. Certainly, there would have been no Dumbledore’s Army. Likewise, would Harry have the humility to face Voldemort and sacrifice himself if, for his entire adolescence, he was told how important he was? 

In choosing not to tell Harry about just how significant he is in the battle against Voldemort, Dumbledore makes a wider decision, one that helps Harry become the man he needs to be in order to overcome the difficult choices he has to make to save the wizarding world. And while it’s easy to see how Dumbledore’s omission of the truth incurred additional trauma upon the Boy Who Lived, it’s also clear that Harry had to experience the things he did in order to fully realise what was at stake. 

'Can you forgive me?', Dumbledore asks Harry in the ‘Kings Cross’ chapter in *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*. 'Can you forgive me for not trusting you? [...] I only feared that you would fail as I had failed.' 

While he is talking about withholding the knowledge of the Deathly Hallows, it could easily apply to the prophecy, too. Dumbledore’s knowledge about the Chosen One didn’t stop Voldemort from killing Harry’s parents, nor the wrongful incarceration of Sirius Black. He didn’t stop Voldemort’s reign of terror, either. Instead, a baby boy, protected by his mother’s love, did it. It took Harry not knowing to get him to a position where knowing wouldn’t set him on the wrong path. Most likely, Dumbledore knew that all along. 

Stray thoughts: What if Snape was never sorted into Slytherin? 

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*Check out our previous piece in our '[Stray thoughts...](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/stray-thoughts-when-characters-see-thestrals)' series, thinking about characters being able to see Thestrals.*

Albus Dumbledore once said that 'the consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed', and he was right. The fickle nature of fate and prophecies comes up time and time again throughout the Harry Potter series. While Harry Potter became the Chosen One, there were so many different roads that the story could have taken; if Voldemort had gone after Neville instead of Harry, for instance, or if Albus hadn't invited Tom Riddle to Hogwarts.

With all of this in mind, I still reckon that the wizarding world's fate was sealed the moment the Sorting Hat yelled 'Slytherin!' after being placed on an 11-year-old Severus' head. Here's how things might have been different if Snape was never sorted into Slytherin. 

Firstly, a quick disclaimer for the proud snakes out there. We know that Slytherin is a great house. It is for the smart, the ambitious and the quick-thinking, and it deserves to be respected. However, back in the day when Voldemort was growing in power and gaining followers, Slytherin's reputation became murky. Salazar Slytherin's influence on the house also encouraged certain students to carry the thoughts that 'pure bloods' were somehow better than others, from Tom Riddle - all the way up to Malfoy 50 years later.

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When Snape first met Lily, the pair instantly hit it off and became very close, with Severus sharing everything with her: from what she needed to know about magic, to his own unhappy home life. But when they went to Hogwarts, everything changed. The pair were parted when the Sorting Hat placed Severus in Slytherin and Lily in Gryffindor, and while Lily thrived in her new, magical life, Snape was essentially placed in close quarters with the likes of Lucius Malfoy, Avery and Mulciber. Mulciber! 

If he had been sorted into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, perhaps Snape stood a chance at making a much safer choice of pals. And it has to be said, he was relentlessly bullied by James and Sirius, since the pair had an innate dislike of Slytherin before they even got to know Snape at all, causing him to be angry, bitter, and make up spells like 'Sectumsempra' in his spare time...  

While Lily thrived at Potions and bickered with James, Severus was getting into some seriously heavy stuff. Surrounded by friends fascinated by the Dark Arts, he became more and more involved in the wrong side of magic and fascinated by Voldemort's teachings, so much so that he called the one good influence in his life a 'Mudblood'.

Yes, he had been humiliated by James Potter and wasn't thinking, and yes he was suspicious that Lily liked James, but this unforgivable slur forced Lily to end their friendship once and for all. And thus, Lily and James started going out, and the rest is history.

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Should Snape have never been sorted into Slytherin, he wouldn't have spent nearly as much time with the wrong sort of people, he wouldn't have received James and Sirius' disdain, and his friendship with Lily wouldn't have abruptly ended. Lily's good influence on Snape was now lost. Maybe Lily and James wouldn't have got together. Think, if Harry had been sorted into Slytherin, he most likely wouldn't have been friends with Ron and Hermione. What then? Well, [we pondered that scenario here, actually.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/what-if-harry-ron-and-hermione-had-never-made-friends-in-philosophers-stone)

But the domino effect of Snape's placement doesn't change everything. If Snape hadn't been in Slytherin, Voldemort would have still risen to power, yes. But Snape might well have been on the good side from the start, and wouldn't have betrayed Trelawney's prediction to Lord Voldemort. Maybe the first wizarding war would have ended differently.

But for Severus, it was just the beginning of his heartbreaking story arc which saw him badly bullied, make a decision which caused him to lose his one true love, then die while redeeming himself and bringing Voldemort down once and for all.

Who knows what could have been, had the Sorting Hat chosen a different road - or if Snape would have still made too many wrong decisions.

What re-reading Harry Potter as a parent revealed to me about love

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When my daughter was a baby, I spent a significant amount of time walking around a series of lakes near my home in a bid to get her to sleep. She was not a good napper, but there was a particular bumpy path that seemed to lull her to sleep much more effectively than all the musical toys and white noise. So that’s where we spent our daylight hours: her wrapped up against the winter cold, me with an overstuffed changing bag and a battered hardback copy of Harry Potter. 

You can anticipate some things about having children, but feeling forced to walk the same stretch of path 30-odd times a day was on a very long list of Things I Never Expected When I Was Expecting.

Such was my familiarity with that path I could generally time it so she’d fall asleep near a bench, and I’d get somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes to read in peace. (It was rarely more than 45 minutes because, as Dr Google smugly informed me, newborn sleep cycles are inexplicably short – who knew?)

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Dumbledore and McGonagall leave baby Harry at Privet Drive 

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That’s still enough time to re-read an old favourite. Like many of us, I’ve often returned to Harry Potter at times of change – and as this was one of the biggest changes I'd ever experienced, off I went back to Hogwarts. In the first year of my daughter’s life I read the series from cover to cover again. Not just on park benches: having a baby also made me get a Kindle, so I could read during endless night feeds. 

The reason I went back to Harry Potter is obvious enough. There is something wonderfully comforting about picking up a book you know by heart, especially when you’re in the middle of a situation about which you know absolutely nothing,  full of fear that you might just explode with love and anxiety at any given moment.


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Hermione in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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Becoming a new mother feels like you’ve just crash-landed in the Hogwarts grounds having gone a few rounds with the Whomping Willow. Before you can get your breath back you’re rushed off to get sorted (off you go, you can find your own way). Once you’re in that room it won’t matter how far you pull the hat down over your head, you’ll still be able to feel everyone judging you for every decision you’re about to make. 

On top of that: you haven’t got the right robes, the books you managed to read might as well have been in Ancient Runes and if you were supposed to have a magic wand it’s been well and truly lost in transit. Oh, and you’re clutching a crying baby that is somehow relying on you to navigate this strange and wonderful new world. 

Well. That’s how it felt to me, anyway.


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So while I was adjusting, I sought refuge in a strange and wonderful world that did feel familiar. But something happened as I progressed from *Philosopher’s Stone* to *Deathly Hallows*. The books felt different. It wasn’t just the fact that Lily’s sacrifice was inevitable, that the casual killing of Cedric Diggory broke my heart into even smaller pieces, or the visceral response I experienced when Molly said, ‘NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!’ There were also smaller moments that spoke louder.

Such as in *Goblet of Fire*, after Cedric dies: Harry’s in Dumbledore’s office, waiting for him to finish explaining to Sirius. He’s exhausted, numb and, to all intents and purposes, alone – except for Fawkes, who flies across to sit on his lap.

> “‘’Lo, Fawkes,” said Harry quietly. He stroked the phoenix’s beautiful scarlet and gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him. There was something comforting about his warm weight.”

For me, this particular paragraph echoes because it captures the unreal, muffled softness of the moments that follow life-changing events. The simple things that you focus on before you start to deal with how life is going to be now.

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The tragedy of Cedric’s death and the losses that come after show the truth of Dumbledore’s belief that grief is love. Of course you don’t have to be a parent to understand that. But I was noticing all sorts of nuances, wondering about things that happened off the page. What did Hermione say to her parents before she enchanted them to forget about her? How did Dumbledore’s mother cope? Was there ever any kind of friendship between Sirius and Regulus? 

Relationships, especially family relationships, are tricky. It’s not like becoming a parent made me suddenly aware of that, but on some level it showed me it’s OK to know absolutely nothing. With love, everyone is just winging it. Even the magical folk.

One day, when I was reading *Order of the Phoenix* on a bench, I looked up and caught someone looking at me with concern. I’d had a sleepless night and a confusing morning and I was properly sobbing. I thought about explaining – ‘…well yes, I am delirious with tiredness and up to my ears in newborn confusion, but also Sirius just died and I’m sorry if I’m hyperventilating but love just makes everything feel so precarious and how are we supposed to deal with this vulnerability?’ – but instead I just wiped my eyes, smiled reassuringly, and checked on the baby.

I mean, yes, love will make you vulnerable. Sometimes it is difficult. But it’s also literally magic, and we all know that.

The Harry Potter characters whose Hogwarts houses are up for debate

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In this article, we sort through (get it?) those times the Sorting Hat had some trouble making a decision, as well as focus in on those witches and wizards who didn't always feel that the Sorting Hat had placed them in the right house. And of course, there’re the characters we feel might have better belonged elsewhere... Perhaps when you’ve read this article you might agree with Dumbledore’s words: ‘I sometimes think we Sort too soon...’

__Beware! There are about as many spoilers for the Harry Potter books and *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child* in this piece as there are gnomes in the Burrow garden...__



## "Hmm,’ said a small voice in his ear. ‘Difficult. Very difficult"

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McGonagall Homepage Carousel

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The famous Thinking Cap boasts ‘I’ll eat myself if you can find/ A smarter hat than me’ in its start of term song, and it would never publicly admit to having doubts about its sorting abilities. But sometimes, it takes a suspiciously long time to make a decision. 

Minerva McGonagall was one Hogwarts student that presented a dilemma for the Sorting Hat. She was a Hatstall – a student whose sorting takes longer than five minutes – and in her case it was the choice between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw that took the time. Given how quickly she answered the Ravenclaw door-knocker’s riddle, we can see that she would have done well in that wise house. On balance though, we think the Sorting Hat went the right way with Minerva McGonagall: duelling with Snape, sticking up to Umbridge and defending Dumbledore – she’s got a lion heart of pure red and gold. 

The line between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw seems to be a bit of a head-scratcher for the Sorting Hat. The same houses were in contention for Hermione Granger, who revealed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that the Sorting Hat ‘seriously considered’ putting her in Ravenclaw. It’s not the biggest surprise if we’re honest – top of her year and arguably one of the brightest witches of her age, we didn’t need the lost Diadem to work out that she would have flourished in Ravenclaw. We’ll never know whether Hermione steered the Sorting Hat away from Ravenclaw or whether she was always heading (get it?) towards Gryffindor, but we’re glad it decided on red and gold in the end – it wouldn’t have been quite the same without our favourite trio plotting in the scarlet common room.

Maybe the Sorting Hat was trying to change Peter Pettigrew’s fate by placing him in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin? Of all the Hogwarts houses, Slytherin boasts the largest number of Death Eaters, after all. A Hatstall like Minerva McGonagall, the Sorting Hat clearly found sorting Wormtail difficult. But we can’t help but feel that this time the Sorting Hat went the wrong way. It seems more cunning than courageous to fake your own death and spend twelve years hiding as a rat. Perhaps the Sorting Hat would argue that fear can overcome anyone, sometimes even a Gryffindor, and that was what had led Peter Pettigrew down the slippery slope and into Lord Voldemort’s service. But we’re not so sure… 


## "There’s no need to tell me I’m not brave enough to be in Gryffindor"



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Neville is suspended by the ears by two Cornish pixies, during Defence Against the Dark Arts

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The Sorting Hat never admits that its final decision is wrong, but it does umm and ahhh in students’ ears while it deliberates. And the longer the student is left sitting on the stool, the more likely they are to doubt the Sorting Hat’s eventual decision. In Harry Potter’s case, the Sorting Hat’s indecision stayed with him for years afterwards, despite it respecting his desperate plea of ‘Not Slytherin, not Slytherin’. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, it took Harry pulling the sword of Godric Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat, to allay his concerns that he should have been a Slytherin. 

Although the Sorting Hat respected Harry’s choice, it wasn’t so kind to Neville Longbottom; it was determined to place him in Gryffindor, despite him asking for Hufflepuff. Throughout his first year Neville was plagued with doubts, at one point choking out: ‘There’s no need to tell me I’m not brave enough to be in Gryffindor’. We hope that when Dumbledore explained that ‘there are all kinds of courage’ Neville felt more at home. And if he didn’t, we reckon killing a giant snake with Gryffindor’s sword probably did the trick. 

Albus Severus Potter was a different case entirely. Before he even arrived at Hogwarts he was terrified that he would be Sorted into Slytherin. And then, his worst fear came true. The whispers filled the Great Hall just like they had when his father arrived all those years before. This time though, it was with shock rather than excitement – shock that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley’s son had been Sorted into Slytherin rather than Gryffindor. Side-note: never let it be said that the Sorting Hat bows to peer pressure or celebrity. We might have expected Albus to struggle with the Sorting Hat’s decision, and he did at first. But it soon turned out that Slytherin was exactly where he was supposed to be.


## "And you all know the score:/I sort you into houses/ Because that is what I’m for"





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A head shot of Snape looking sideways from the Deathly Hallows Part 2 

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True. It’s the Sorting Hat’s job to sort, but it’s our job to mull over its decisions. And we too have some doubts. 

Let’s start with Gilderoy Lockhart. Apparently little Lockhart had above-average intelligence when he arrived at Hogwarts and as we know he turned out to have a real talent for Memory Charms. But surely a true Ravenclaw wouldn’t have needed to modify the memories of more knowledgeable and daring witches and wizards? And they certainly would have been able to sort out a few pesky Cornish Pixies? Then there’s his ambition for fame, which was evident even at school, where he once created ‘an illuminated projection of his own face which he would send skywards in imitation of the Dark Mark’. We’re sure that made him lots of friends...

With all of this taken into account, we’d dare to say that Lockhart showed far more cunning and ambition than he ever did wit and wisdom. Perhaps Lockhart wouldn’t have felt the need to prove himself so much if he’d ended up in a house better known for these traits, like Slytherin.

We need to talk about Severus Snape. Surely not? We hear you cry. Yes – Snape was Head of Slytherin. Yes – Snape had a burning ambition to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Yes – he was king of all things cunning in his role as double agent to both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. But are these what made up the very core of Severus Snape? Without Lily Evans entering his life we might have said yes. Snape’s love for Lily gave him a defining characteristic of another Hogwarts house: Loyalty. This was his essential driving force, it even infiltrated his magic and showed up in his Patronus. His love for Lily, and his loyalty to her above ambition, above self-preservation, was – as Dumbledore puts it – the best of Snape. Would Hufflepuff have been a better fit?

Don’t misunderstand us, Luna Lovegood is an excellent Ravenclaw. She shared a lot of Luna-style wisdom with Harry during her time at Hogwarts, in particular reminding him that the ones who leave us are never truly lost behind the Veil, as well as demonstrating a gift for logical thinking. We’re not sure we could come up with an answer as to whether the Phoenix or the flame came first under such immense pressure. And it must have taken some seriously impressive magic to make her Gryffindor lion hat roar so realistically. But Luna’s loyalty and kindness – key Hufflepuff traits – really did know no bounds. Luna insisted on coming to the Ministry to help her fellow DA members – it was her idea to ride the Thestrals. And Luna was one of only two members of the DA who were loyal enough to answer the call of the charmed Galleons the night Malfoy let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts.


Where all these doubts take us, we suppose, is to somewhere more certain: we, like the characters in the wizarding world, are all made up of a mixture of cunning, curiosity, courage, kindness and a whole lot more. Perhaps the Sorting Hat shows witches and wizards the traits most dominant in them already, or perhaps the Hat Sorts to encourage traits that thus far have lain dormant? We can never really know, but as Dumbledore sagely said: ‘It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.’


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Dumbledore sitting in a chair from the Half Blood Prince 

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Have you tried our official Sorting Ceremony to discover where you truly belong? It’s available on our new Wizarding World app. 
Don’t worry if you were previously sorted into a Hogwarts house, you have the choice to keep it if you’re unhappy with the Sorting Hat’s choice, just like Harry.



Comparing Lord Voldemort and Grindelwald's paths 

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## Followers over friends

When teaching Harry about Horcruxes in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Dumbledore shared memories he had collected about the childhood of Lord Voldemort – or Tom Riddle, as he was then known. During Riddle’s Hogwarts days, Dumbledore observed: 

> ‘As he moved up the school, he gathered about him a group of dedicated friends; I call them that, for want of a better term, although as I have already indicated, Riddle undoubtedly felt no affection for any of them.’ 
> Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

These early followers – for Riddle was their leader, even if he pretended to be their friend – were ‘forerunners of the Death Eaters, and indeed some of them became the first Death Eaters after leaving Hogwarts.’ From then on, the people who surrounded Lord Voldemort were referred to as his followers, his Death Eaters, but very rarely was the word ‘friend’ used by either Voldemort or others. And the same can be said of Gellert Grindelwald. As the entire city of Paris was covered in his dark banners, Tina warned, ‘it’s Grindelwald. He’s calling his followers.’ 

Followers not friends. 

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Voldemort casts a spell in front of his Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor in a film still from The Deathly Hallows Part 1 

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## The making of impassioned speeches

On stage at the underground amphitheatre in *Crimes of Grindelwald*, Grindelwald spoke, and people listened. Grindelwald addressed those listening as ‘my brothers, my sisters, my friends’. But we know many of those in the crowd were not ¬– and would never be – his friends; Tina was there, as were Newt and Leta. What he was doing was making a speech, trying to persuade, trying to anger, trying to gain followers. And most of all trying to justify his actions. 

Interestingly, Lord Voldemort also made epic, justificatory and impassioned speeches. He made a speech to the Death Eaters that gathered in the graveyard at Little Hangleton the night he returned to his body:

> ‘But I want there to be no mistake in anybody’s mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him.’
> Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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And he couldn’t help but make a speech to Harry at their very last encounter, even as they circled each other to fight the duel that would end it all. 

> ‘Is it love again? […] Dumbledore’s favourite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the Tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter – and nobody seems to love you enough to run forwards this time, and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?’ 
> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Both Voldemort and Grindelwald knew the power of words; their ability to scare and to encourage, as well as their power to spread disharmony and fear. Both men also appeared to like the sound of their own voices – their speeches were long, rhetorical and often focussed on themselves, bringing others into their own mythologies rather than recognising other people’s stories. 

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A green beam comes from Voldemort's wand after he casts a killing curse.

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## Spontaneous acts of violence

As well as the power of words, both knew the power of violence – particularly spontaneous acts of violence – as a means of spreading fear and asserting their dominance. 

‘Kill the spare’ Voldemort casually said as he ordered the murder of Cedric Diggory. This coming moments before he used the Cruciatus curse on Avery ¬– one of his own Death Eaters – as Avery begged for his master’s forgiveness. 

Grindelwald committed these violent acts too, despite claiming otherwise in his speech in the underground amphitheatre: ‘Go forth from this place and spread the word: It is not we who are violent.’ 

Grindelwald hid out in Parisian homes and his every move was tinged with the green light of the Killing Curse. While he waited on a street, his followers killed those inside to allow his entry. He didn’t cast the curse himself but we assume it was on his orders, and he tapped his cane carelessly on the pavement whilst he waited.

Inside, a baby was left alive only to face the green light of Carrow’s Killing Curse a few moments later, again on Grindelwald’s nod. The baby’s crime? Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Years later, Lord Voldemort murdered Frank Bryce at the beginning of *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* for eavesdropping. 

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## Obsession

Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort both had obsessions, and they are oddly aligned. Voldemort was obsessed with Harry Potter – the Boy Who Lived – to the extent that he did not allow his Death Eaters to come to his aid in the graveyard at Little Hangleton, though he had been reborn for mere minutes. As the cores of Voldemort’s and Harry’s wands connected, Voldemort shrieked: ‘Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!’ In *Goblet of Fire*, Wormtail suggested using another wizard’s blood for Voldemort’s rebirth because it would be easier, but his master replied: ‘I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other.’ 

Gellert Grindelwald was similarly focussed on another: Credence Barebone. In contrast to Voldemort’s obsession with killing Harry, though, Grindelwald wanted Credence on his side. Though we still don’t know the full depths and reasons for this obsession, Grindelwald gave us clues along the way.

> ‘So . . . Credence Barebone. Nearly destroyed by the woman who raised him. Yet now he seeks the mother who bore him. He’s desperate for family. He’s desperate for love. He’s the key to our victory.’ 
> Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald 

Interestingly, at one time or another Grindelwald and Voldemort waited for Credence and Harry respectively to approach them of their own accord. In the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort said of Snape and Lucius: ‘Neither of you understands Potter as I do. He does not need finding. Potter will come to me.’ And when Grindelwald’s followers asked him why they couldn’t just grab Credence and leave, his answer was very similar, though for different ends: ‘He must come to me freely — and he will.’ 

Both also shared an obsession with the Deathly Hallows, though Lord Voldemort is only interested in the Elder Wand rather than all three, like Grindelwald.

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Of his and Grindelwald’s friendship, Dumbledore said:

> ‘And at the heart of our schemes, the Deathly Hallows! How they fascinated him, how they fascinated both of us!’ 
> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Lord Voldemort sought one of the Hallows by travelling across the wizarding world. And when he thought he had finally truly possessed it, he was jubilant. He thought himself unbeatable:

> ’[…] and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore’s last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!’ 
> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

It is perhaps unsurprising that both these Dark wizards, who sought power at any cost, were stirred by the idea of the Deathly Hallows. Their shared obsession with the Elder Wand was an insight into what lay behind their respective rises to power, and later, their downfalls.

Harry Potter Movie Marathon: The Ultimate Survival Guide

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Harry Ron and Hermione sitting at the Burrow for Dumbledore's will 

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To celebrate [USA Network](https://www.usanetwork.com/wizardingworld/watch) playing all eight Harry Potter films, along with Fantastic Beasts, during the festive season, here are a few (hopefully) handy tips to help you orchestrate the perfect binge-watching weekend.


__Dress for success__

First things first. A movie marathon is all about staying comfortable. Pyjamas are a must, preferably in your house colours for those tense House Cup moments. But any cosy kind will do. Top tip though, if you have pyjamas with pockets, we’d advise digging them out. That way you’ll have a place to keep your snacks safe from the abyss down the edge of the sofa.

On your feet you might also want slippers and socks to keep your toes warm. As Dobby would tell you, there’s absolutely no need for them to match. 

__Create a wizarding ambience__

As electricity plays havoc with magic, Hogwarts tends to go for a more candle-lit look. So, in keeping with that, close those curtains and turn down the lights. If you have any fairy lights, you might want to set them up high above your head like the bewitched ceiling of the Great Hall at night, or an outdoor Astronomy lesson. And as we say, candles will certainly help set the tone. Just make sure you extinguish them at the end of the marathon. 

__Clear your schedule__

Before you completely immerse yourself in the wizarding world, it might be a good idea to make sure your only engagement during movie-watching time is with Harry Potter and his friends. That way, once you begin your marathon you can switch off your phone, sit back and relax. There’s nothing worse than getting a call right in the middle of watching a wizarding duel. Things are stressful enough.

__Plan your snacks strategically__ 

Once that first Warner Bros. logo pops up, you’re in it for the long haul. So make sure you are well nourished. Popcorn is always a winner. And we think chocolate should be your snack of choice during *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* given all the Dementors floating around. Unlike the witches and wizards on your screens, you’ll be able to enjoy your treats without worrying they come from Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes. 

We’d also recommend you fix up your very own Hogwarts feasts throughout so you’re getting enough to eat throughout the day and night. And make sure you get your five a day – they'll give you more energy to stay awake! 

__Stay hydrated__

When it comes to drinks, we’d of course recommend tea; it’ll keep you hydrated, alert and provide entertainment if you fancy some ad-hoc Divination with some tea leaves (unless you prefer to decipher soggy teabags). Also, it's quintessentially British! The perfect Potter beverage. Hot chocolate would also be one of our marathon drinks of choice, particularly as Dumbledore – the go-to wizard for wisdom – seemed to like a steaming cup or two. 

If you really want to channel Hogwarts at home though, how about a pumpkin juice?

__Make your sofa extra snuggly__

Thick blankets, sleeping bags, cushions fluffier than a Pygmy Puff. Grab anything soft and cosy you can find and claim your place in front of the big screen. Got any pets? Get them in on the marathon too! Or even allow them on the sofa just this once. And for the more imaginative amongst you, why not pretend they’re the animal you picked out from the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley? Dress up your dog as an owl! Do whatever you have to do.

__Some housekeeping__ 

Make sure you have some tissues close by for moments that’ll make you cry. You know those moments will be coming, so you might as well prep early. 

We know you’ll want to join in with your favourite lines but unless you know them word for word try to say them quietly to yourself. It might be someone else’s favourite line too. 

Remember to be mindful of spoilers. You might have seen the films before, but your family and friends might be watching the magical moments for the first time. Those among us who got the ending of *Half-Blood Prince* spoiled for us back in the day are still smarting from the memories...

__Pace yourself__ 

Unlike catching the Snitch, getting through a movie marathon shouldn’t be a race. It’s a marathon after all, not a sprint! Make sure you take regular breaks and stand up once in a while. One suggestion we have is to stand up every time Malfoy mentions his father – that should get you up off the sofa once, twice... a few times. 

We’d also recommend keeping track of where the remote is at all times so there isn’t a distracting scramble whenever anyone wants to leave the room. With the lights turned low and all those comfy cushions everywhere, there’s a chance it might be harder to spot than an enchanted key with a bent wing. If only we could use Accio... 

__Keep awake!__

It doesn’t matter how much you love the Harry Potter films, falling asleep is a risk during any movie marathon. We’ve come up with a couple of suggestions.

There’s nothing like a jaunty singalong to wake everyone up. How about the occasional chorus of ‘Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts’? with everyone picking their favourite tune? You could always mix it up with the occasional chorus of ‘Weasley is our King’. Or even an adlibbed version of 'A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love', if you’re hardcore.

If singing isn’t your thing, we’d suggest picking your favourite Quidditch match and acting it out in your front room – brooms encouraged. It’ll get your blood pumping and keep your eyes open. 
Another way to keep everyone on their toes is to create a password (house common room-style) as each film ends. That way if someone falls asleep and then leaves the room, they’ll end up like Neville did so many times – out on the wrong side of the portrait hole. After all: you snooze, you lose.

If someone does fall asleep there’s always Mad-Eye Moody’s example to follow. Shout ‘CONSTANT VIGILANCE’ and they’re bound to wake up. 

And lastly, have a wonderful wizarding time! 

On second thoughts... is there any chance we could join in? We’ll bring the sherbet lemons.

*The Harry Potter films [are currently playing back-to-back during the Christmas season](https://www.usanetwork.com/wizardingworld/watch). There’s always time for another rewatch!*

Some Wizarding World Christmas cracker jokes

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That said, in case you want to give your Christmas dinner a Wizarding World touch this year, feel free to try out these.  
 
1. What do you do with a Remembrall at Christmas time?  
 
*Let it glow!*  
 
2. Which Weasley is it best to channel around the festive season? 
 
*Tis the season to be Molly!* 
 
3. What does Snape use to make disappointing mince pies? 

 *The Half-Good Mince*  
 
4. What's Dobby's favourite Christmas song? 

*Jingle Bell Sock*  

5. What would happen if you cast Muffliato on someone around Christmas time? 
 
*They’d have a Silent Night!* 
 
6. Why should you never give a toddler gravy at Christmas? 

*Because of the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sauce-ry*  

7. Why was the wizard sneezing all through Christmas Day? 
 
*He took too much Flu Powder!*  
 
8. What happens when you accidentally swallow the silver coin in a Christmas pudding? 
 
*You feel a bit Sickle*  

9. What do you call someone who puts too many herbs in the stuffing? 
 
*A Parsley-Mouth!*  

10. Did you hear about what happened to the Boggart in the Christmas tree?

*We’d tell you, but it’s too Riddikulus*
 
Thank you, thank you. We’re here all week.  
 


Seven spells to survive a family Christmas 

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## Undetectable Extension Charm

If you’re travelling to see family or friends at Christmas, it’s tricky to find enough room for presents, woolly hats, coats and a few festive snacks. We think the Undetectable Extension Charm Hermione placed on her small beaded bag would be the perfect solution to Christmas packing struggles.

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## Homenum revelio

This spell reveals human presence, so we think it would come in really handy for sneaking gifts into hiding places, away from prying eyes. You can never tell who might be spying from a cupboard or under a bed in a bid to getting a peek at their Christmas gifts. This spell would definitely help keep the surprises secret.


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## Langlock 

When Harry cast this spell on Peeves, the poltergeist was silenced because his tongue ‘had glued itself to the roof of his mouth’. Many of us have an Aunt Marge type relative attending Christmas lunch. You know who I mean. That person who always says the one thing guaranteed to start a family argument (or cause a young wizard to lose control of his magic). With Langlock you could stop the unfortunate comment before it’s even left their mouth.



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## Atmospheric Charm

Remember that time Ron – impersonating Ministry worker Reg Cattermole – was sent to stop it raining in someone’s office? It sounded like it was something to do with an Atmospheric Charm. So, we were wondering, if the charm made it rain perhaps it might work for snow too. Worth a go, isn’t it?


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## Accio

We think the Summoning Charm would definitely come in useful at Christmas. Can’t reach the last present right under the tree? Lost your glasses amongst piles of discarded wrapping paper? Want to beat everyone else to that last roast potato? Can’t reach your new Harry Potter book but too full of Christmas pudding to move? Accio! Accio! Acci–all the way.


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Harry holding his wand in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament 

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## Levicorpus 
 
We reckon Levicorpus – the hooked by the ankle jinx – would have two main uses on Christmas Day, the first as a distraction from disasters. Imagine you accidentally spill some gravy? Levicorpus! Struggling to feign excitement about receiving a book you’ve already read? Levicorpus the attention away. Then there’s the Weasley twins’ entertainment factor. Levicorpus would definitely give everyone a good laugh if the cracker jokes fall flat. A family member dangling upside down in the air by their ankle would surely guarantee giggles from the whole room. Best let your target’s turkey go down first though, eh?


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## Scourgify 

When everyone has collapsed after a hearty Christmas dinner, there’s nothing less appealing than having to drag yourself up off your chair and clean a mountain of dirty dishes. Scourgify is the answer to all your post-prandial problems. Imagine being able to get all those plates, pots and pans sparkling again, with just a swish of your wand. 


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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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Ten wizarding treats we'd love to find in our stocking

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### Honeydukes’ best chocolate 

Chocolate is a remedy in the wizarding world. Madam Pomfrey was delighted to hear that Professor Lupin – the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher – had given chocolate to students after the Dementors boarded the Hogwarts Express in Harry ‘s third year. 

Lupin also gifted a large bar of Honeydukes’ best chocolate to Harry after their first private anti-Dementor lesson together. Everything about Honeydukes sounds delicious, but their best chocolate. Yes please! 
 
### Canary Creams
 

>‘Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

A bargain at seven Sickles each, eating these hilarious treats – invented by Fred and George Weasley – turned witches and wizards into canaries for a minute or so, before their feathers moulted. What better way to diffuse a family argument at Christmas dinner than turning the troublemaker into a bird?
 
### Sugar Quills 

These were in stock at Honeydukes and according to Ron you can suck them in class ‘and just look like you’re thinking what to write next’. When they headed to Hogsmeade in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Hermione even spotted ‘Deluxe Sugar Quills’ which she reckoned would last hours. If you want to eat sweets whilst pretending to work, this would be the perfect stocking filler for you.
 
### Mrs Weasley’s Homemade Fudge 

This fudge may not turn you into a canary or help you recover from a Dementor attack, but it would definitely warm your heart. Mrs Weasley sent Harry ‘a large box of home-made’ fudge (as well as a Weasley jumper) his first Christmas at Hogwarts. We assume this was because Ron mentioned that Harry ‘didn’t expect any presents’.

Molly Weasley really is the best – and we’re sure that fudge was pretty tasty too! 
 
### Skiving Snackbox 

If you haven’t heard of Skiving Snackboxes then we’ll hand over to the Weasley twins to explain: 

>‘‘They’re double-ended, colour-coded chews. If you eat the orange half of the Puking Pastilles, you throw up. Moment you’ve been rushed out of the lesson for the hospital wing, you swallow the purple half –’ 
>
>‘– which restores you to full fitness, enabling you to pursue the leisure activity of your own choice during an hour that would otherwise have been devoted to unprofitable boredom.’’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* 

Aside from Puking Pastilles, the twins also developed Fainting Fancies, Fever Fudge and Noseblood Nougat, so customers could choose their favourite fake sickness. 

We don’t think the Snackboxes would be as tasty as many of the treats on this list, but you can’t deny that they’d come in useful for those Christmas activities you might want to escape from… 
 
### Chocolate Frogs 

Hermione bought a box of Chocolate Frogs for Harry in his first year at Hogwarts and we’d be pretty excited to find even one in our stocking. Not only are they made of chocolate – which is both delicious and useful in the wizarding world – but they also have Famous Witches and Wizards cards inside them. Two presents for the price of one if you ask us. 
 
### Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans 

We know Albus Dumbledore avoided them, but he once set ‘Cockroach Cluster’ as his office password, so we’re not sure whether to trust his treat choices. What we do know from Ron is that ‘when they say every flavour, they mean every flavour’. Christmas fun for days! We’d just try to avoid the bogey and earwax flavours… Easy, right? 
 
### Pumpkin Pasties 

Opening presents is hungry work so we think it’d be great to find a few Pumpkin Pasties in your stocking. In *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*, a Pumpkin Pasty was the first treat from the trolley that Harry chomped on. Alongside all the sweet things we’d love to eat on Christmas Day, it might be a good idea to munch on something savoury too.
 
### Chocolate Cauldrons 

Romilda Vane gave Harry some Chocolate Cauldrons for Christmas in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* that were spiked with love potion. The whole episode was disastrous, culminating in Ron being poisoned in Slughorn’s office. But despite this, we’re still intrigued by the treats themselves. When Romilda thrust the box into Harry’s hands, she mentioned they had Firewhisky in them. And Ron ate half the box in no time which suggested they were pretty tasty. Worth a try? We think so – minus the love potion, of course. 
 
### Bottle of Butterbeer 

A warm, foaming Butterbeer would surely be enough to keep anyone warm on a frosty Christmas morning. And after all those sugary treats, it’d be ideal to find something as tasty as a Butterbeer in your stocking to wash it all down with. Plus, Luna Lovegood let us into a little secret: Butterbeer corks can make a rather fetching necklace. A present for a friend next Christmas, perhaps?

Hogwarts in the Snow: lesser known decorations from the Great Hall

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Gryffindor table set for Christmas at Hogwarts in the Snow

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### House representation

Professor McGonagall told Harry and his classmates on his arrival at Hogwarts: ‘your house will be something like your family’. For the films, the Art Department, Props Team and Set Decorators wanted to reflect house colours in the decorations for Christmastide – the time of year most commonly spent with loved ones. 

House representation details you may have missed include snowmen on cakes wearing house scarves, sweet pots and student presents wrapped with house colours, as well as crackers with an individual house design.  
House pride is strong as ever in the Great Hall during the festive makeover of the sets for Hogwarts in the Snow.   


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### Magical attention to detail

Those of you channelling a Ravenclaw’s thirst for knowledge will be delighted to find out there’s more detail than just House representation in the Great Hall.  

The garlands on every panel are the actual garlands used during filming, with some fresh ivy added we’re sure Professor Sprout would approve of.  
The Christmas puddings are rigged by the Special Effects department to produce real flames. Unfortunately, they are about as inedible as Hagrid’s rock cakes since they’re made of concrete and steel leaves to withstand the high heat.  


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### Fabulous filming facts

Did you know that during the filming of the first Harry Potter, real food was cooked and served fresh every day on set? Unfortunately, it didn’t keep well and by the end of a long day’s filming, it looked a little like the spread at Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party. After the first film therefore, the ever-creative Props Team solved this problem by making replica feast food themselves. We hope the cast remembered the change: even the peas were metal ball bearings sprayed green!  

And do you remember the malevolent beings circling the top of the Christmas trees? The SFX Team led by Oscar-winning John Richardson added them in an inspired decorative mood. Out-Hermione all your friends by telling them the magical beings are actually fairies, not witches.  



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### Yule be surprised to know

The Great Hall also boasted additions for the special Yule Ball celebration that happened in Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts.  

>‘Ah, music,’ he said, wiping his eyes. ‘A magic beyond all we do here!’ 
>
>*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*
 
Albus Dumbledore certainly would have approved of Professor Flitwick’s orchestra being set out for the Yule Ball set. It included all the original musical instruments from the fourth film, as well as velvet coloured chairs and music stands.  

Did you recognise the shape of the ice sculpture centrepiece on the Yule Ball table? It was actually based on the Brighton Pavilion! And there was no rest for the Props Team when it came to creating a wintery feel… All the flaming torches in the Yule Ball were painted to look like ice, and the icicles were all hand-made in resin.  


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An enormous cauldron of thanks to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London for sharing these seasonal secrets! 

For more information or to book your tickets in advance, you can head over to their <a href="https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk">website.</a>

How the wizarding world sometimes gave us some unrealistic expectations 

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## Teachers

Perhaps you were lucky enough to have wonderful teachers, but Albus Dumbledore would be a hard act for any head teacher to follow. His wisdom, wit and protectiveness over his students was second to none.

Remember that time in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* when Harry accused Dumbledore of abandoning the school? His angry reply said it all: ‘Please do not suggest that I do not take the safety of my students seriously.’

Then there was Remus Lupin who gave Harry private tuition so he could fight off Dementors. What better gift could a teacher give than a Patronus? ‘A pure, protective magical concentration of happiness and hope.’ Meanwhile, in Muggle life, extra maths tuition was never going to be quite as exciting... however excellent the teacher. 

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## Adventures

Reading about Hogwarts had us imagining we’d be solving at least one mystery a term during our own school years. Think again! No priceless magical objects hidden down the third-floor science corridor, no secret chamber under the sports hall, no school heirlooms scattered across the country in need of destruction. Nothing. The biggest mystery some of us had to face at school was why we weren’t allowed to write about the Harry Potter books in our English exams... or was that just us?

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WB F5 Dumbledores army HP5D-2921

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## P.E.

We thought physical education or games or sport – whatever your school called it – wouldn’t be so different to Quidditch. How very wrong we were. It turns out you can’t really compare Quidditch to any sport you might try at school. Why? Well, clearly it’s the best sport ever invented. Flying broomsticks, spectacular dives, signature moves (we’d all love a go at a Wronski Feint) and Quidditch heroes worthy of admiration – Viktor Krum, Gwenog Jones, Charlie Weasley. Not to mention that Quidditch teams are mixed, so it’s a sport that heroes equality. 

P.E.’s only saving grace perhaps was that it was timetabled to end; in Quidditch, if you had a particularly slow Seeker, the game could go on for days. In fact, the record is six months – that’s a really long P.E. lesson.

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Cormac McLaggen brags to Ron Weasley at Quidditch Keeper tryouts

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## School dances 

When our own school dances, discos, and graduation balls came around, we’re sure we weren’t alone in imagining some version of the Yule Ball ¬– that glittering winter spectacular that was held in honour of the Triwizard Tournament in *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*. Perhaps you too had unrealistic expectations about the décor and pictured your school hall decked out ‘in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling’ with your classmates in elegant dress robes. And don’t forget the live fairies! 

How our expectations crashed through the floor when everyone turned up in jeans, jumped up and down to the music, and the only refreshments were bowls of ready salted crisps. We’d rather have braved taking Cormac McLaggen to Slughorn’s Christmas party. 
