‘Harry Potter’ Fans Celebrate Albus Potter’s First Day At Hogwarts

Welcome to Hogwarts, Albus Severus Potter!

In the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,’” the final “Harry Potter” book’s, epilogue, readers were transported to 19 years later when Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley ventured to King’s Cross station with their three kids to send one of them, Albus Potter, off to Hogwarts for his first day of school. That day was Sept. 1, 2017.

It seemed so distant in the future during the book’s release in 2007, but now it’s here and it seems like magic that it’s come so fast. This momentous occasion is to be celebrated as such, and fans are not disappointing.

“Harry Potter” lovers gathered at the King’s Cross station in London to join together for this notable event. They had to wait until 11 a.m. on Sept. 1, because that’s the time when the Hogwarts Express train leaves at platform 9 ¾. Fans were decked out with robes, wands and other paraphernalia, taking to Twitter to showcase the fun.

Also attending was Pottermore, the digital aspect to the Wizarding World, and its Twitter account caught every perfect moment. But that’s not the only extension of author J.K. Rowling that had a celebration.

This “19 years later” epilogue isn’t just about the books or the movies, it is also what Rowling’s “Cursed Child” play is all about. The play picks up those 19 years later and follows Potter and Weasley’s children, especially Albus as he makes his way to begin his life as a wizard. The cast and crew commemorated the event at the Palace Theater, where the play is performed, with a cake in the form of the Hogwarts Express and shirts that boast the words “19 years later.”

For those not at the Palace Theater or King’s Cross station, the Twitterverse continues to be the perfect place to band together with fellow fans over a mutual obsession and love of “Harry Potter” and all the emotions it brings with it. On Friday morning, “#19yearsLater” and “Hogwarts” were trending worldwide on Twitter. There were almost 200,000 tweets mentioning “Hogwarts,” and that number only continues to grow as more join the party.

Of course, the queen of Twitter and “Harry Potter,” J.K. Rowling, is spearheading this party on Twitter with her usual clever comments and funny replies.

For both those obsessed with the series and those who only dabble, this worldwide occurrence is something to both witness and be a part of. The overpowering excitement and joy that’s radiating from this event is enough to make anyone want to join in. Even He-Who-Must -Not-Be-Named would’ve cracked a smile. A small one, but a smile nonetheless.

Just a couple months ago, fans were celebrating yet another huge landmark, the 20^th anniversary of the first book being published. This brought out all the fun, as well.

So, while this isn’t the first large milestone of the series that’s been celebrated, and surely won’t be the last, it just contributes to the notion that “Harry Potter” will always live on. While the character himself is The Boy Who Lived, the series is The Series That Lived Forever.