Joy!
That’s the one word, the only word that can define a visit to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter for me.
It’s everywhere, in the laughs of each “witch” and “wizard” window shopping in Diagon Alley, the eyes of each passenger riding aboard the Hogwart’s Express, the expressions of each person as they collect their bag of sweets from Honeyduke’s or enjoy a dollop of hand-dipped ice-cream from Florean Fortescue‘s Ice-Cream Shop.
Everyone wishes to share in the magic in every way imaginable: to sample the flavors brewing in The Three Broomsticks, to catch sight of the dragon perched atop Gringott’s breathe fire, to know the exhilaration of casting their first spell in this most magical of worlds.
J. K. Rowling introduced us to this joy through her novels, the movies showed us another visual perspective and now in The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter we can immerse ourselves in it.
Roaming up and down Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, children and grown-ups from around the globe donned Hogwarts robes and waved wands to do spells. All of them experiencing a slice of the joy, J.K. Rowling has shared with the world.
Wall to wall, wand enthusiasts packed into Ollivander’s. Small groups of admirers clustered around wand displays; others carefully held the beloved rods as if the great wand maker were really there scrutinizing how they treated his handmade creations.
Eyes as round as galleons, shoppers bought a Butterbeer for the first time sipping at it with as much satisfaction as Harry and his friends.
As an author I can think of no greater joy than having people keen to take part and contribute to a story I wrote. To watch this story take on a life of its own and thus become larger than life.
What a remarkable way to bring folks together and it all started with the joy one writer had while drafting the tale she had to tell. One day, I hope the stories I write create a similar sentiment in those who read them.