Universal Studios: Mischief Managed!

Let me tell you about one of the happiest days of my life: the time I spent the entire day in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

 

It was a day I got to share with some of my closest friends, which was great, both because they enjoyed it thoroughly themselves, and also because they let me fully revel in my Wizarding World glee without thinking I’ve gone crazy. I’ve dreamed, day-dreamed, and pretty much lived in Harry’s world ever since I read the books all those years ago. A lifetime ago. I have traveled by the Hogwarts Express, been Sorted, flown Firebolts, and rode Hippogriffs a million times in my imagination. Was there ever a pre-Harry Potter Pooja? (Yes, actually, but that’s a whole other story.) Newer exciting fantasy series have come and gone, but nothing has ever managed to replace Hogwarts yet.

After years and years of obsessing so, I was finally here in Hogsmeade village! It was just as I pictured it – row after row of tiny shops with pristine snow-covered roofs. In addition there were wand stalls (here, the wannabe wizard chose the wand), and giant barrels full of Butterbeer.

 

I saw moving Wanted posters of Sirius Black. There were Gringotts ATMs to withdraw Muggle money. How considerate! I saw adults walking around in full wizarding robes, and children running around brandishing functional wands. Yes, the wands are interactive and you can actually perform certain spells in specific locations in Hogsmeade! There were little Pygmy Puffs you could adopt. Owl post that you could mail to yourself or to friends.

 

The Frog Choir was in full form, with occasional dances and gymnastics by the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang  visitors. There was old Mr. Ollivander, demonstrating how the wand chooses one very lucky wizard. I was really hoping to be picked for the demo, but I suppose the 9-year-old who was picked instead can maybe appreciate the experience just as much?! Oh, and Honeydukes! You could see why it’s a top destination for Hogwarts students. Fudge Flies, Sugar Quills, Peppermint Toads by the dozen – in candy stores like these, everyone is like a toddler on a sugar high!

 

And of course, there were all the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs you could buy, complete with Famous Witches and Wizards Cards. Do you know how big those Frogs actually are? I was stopped at the LAX airport for extra security later on, because they thought the giant frog-shaped figure in my bag looked very suspicious through the X-ray scanner!

 

The Three Broomsticks was incredible. The sheer attention to detail was impressive, from a little sign with three little broomsticks on it, to stern notices from the Ministry about underage wizards not allowed to be served alcohol. We had to stand in queue for lunch for nearly an hour, but it was worth it. I almost cried when I had my first mug of Butterbeer. I was worried it would be too sweet, too overwhelming, and I’d be disappointed. But it was sheer perfection. It reminded me of butterscotch ice cream, but in hot molten form – creamy and delicious.

 

And then of course, we got to wander through Hogwarts castle to get to one of the theme park rides. The ride was quite realistic, as we got to follow Harry on his broomstick above the castle grounds, swooping, soaring, and barely escaping being hit by the Whomping Willow. But before we got on the ride, we had the time of our lives walking through Hogwarts castle. I kept squealing with excitement as we wound through the greenhouses outside, walked underneath the talking portraits, and saw Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room, and the classrooms. It was quite surreal to finally, finally be physically present in the very place my heart has resided for the last 17-odd years.

 

I wish I could explain how I felt. I could use phrases like ‘magical’, ‘incredible’, and ‘dream come true’, but that’s not nearly enough to capture what I felt. Words are not enough. What I can tell you is that I walked around in a happy daze, happy but almost painfully so. My breath was caught in my throat, my face warm, and my heart pounding away, a big ball of emotion lodged just so, waiting to be released in the form of loud squeals, helpless laughter, or a tempest of I-just-can’t-believe-I’m-here tears.

You see, Harry Potter isn’t just a children’s series. It’s a beautiful glorious world, a fantastical one, sure, but also one that teaches us so much about our own reality, with incredibly visual examples. The Dementors, such a chillingly terrifying representation of fear and depression, and how the only way to keep them at bay is by intensely focusing on your most powerful happy memories. And by eating a lot of chocolate, of course.

The Mirror of Erised, showing the deepest, most desperate desires of one’s heart. What would you see? And how would you react to see it laid out so clearly? Would you get obsessed with that image and fade away to nothing, longing for something that can never be? Would you hide it from everyone, like Dumbledore did (at least so far – but The Crimes of Grindelwald isn’t out yet!), and claim all you can see is a pair of socks?

We learnt the lesson that evil can never truly be eradicated, but if we fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, we can delay its return. How love is the strongest power of all, even in a world of Fidelius Charms and Protego spells and Felix Felicis.

The characters, so complex and wonderful – we see loyalty in the form of 14-year-old Ron Weasley standing up on a broken leg and defiantly telling a presumed murderer that he’ll have to kill him before getting to his best friend. We see that heroines need not be classically perfect – that bushy-haired book-toting know-it-alls are incredible friends to have, and can rise up to save the day, over and over. And Harry. Headstrong impulsive Harry whose instincts are almost always right, and who learns the subtle difference between being dragged kicking and screaming into a battle to the death, and walking into the arena with his head held high. Why wouldn’t we love Rowling’s world?!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the best part of being a Potterhead – apart from all the wonderful source material and the movies, and the tweets, and the cursed play I refuse to consider canon, and the newer fantastic movies, and Pottermore, and more, always more – the best part of being a Potterhead is the community. All those diverse Muggles united by a common love. The ships, the fanfics, the head canons, the fervent debates about Snape’s redemption, whether Umbridge was worse than Voldemort, and which Hogwarts house we truly belong to and why – I love the way these books have inspired countless works of creativity, sparked endless friendships, and fostered a sense of community and belonging in the world. Because no matter who we are or where we come from, we know that Hogwarts will always be there to welcome us home.