Harry Potter World : Where Reality Meets Magic

Just pick a random person out of the entire population of this world and there are 95% chances that person has heard of Harry Potter and 80% chances that they are hardcore fans of the book-movie franchise. Okay, these statistics may not be that accurate but c’mon, who hasn’t heard of HARRY POTTER? Some people grew up with the franchise as it progressed through its seven books-eight movies series. To have a Harry Potter studio tour is every fan’s dream. Warner Bros. has successfully made this dream come true for all the fans by opening up the studio where the Harry Potter scenes were exclusively shot, for a tour.

Ollivander’s wand shop

From Hagrid’s motorcycle to an 18-foot wide Aragog, from butterbeer to 1000s of customized wands at Ollivander’s shop, this studio has it all. Unveiled to the public on 31^st March, 2012, ‘Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter’ is as wonderful up close as it is on screen.And there’s no doubting that Potter aficionados will love what they see here, because it is the real deal.

Great-hall-teachers

The setting is Leavesden Studios near Watford, Hertfordshire, where all eight films were made over the course of a decade.Here are the sets, props and costumes that appeared in the movies. Visitors can wander down the cobbles of Diagon Alley, inspect the table settings in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, gaze at the bookshelves in Dumbledore’s office and peer through the windows of number four Privet Drive.

Great Hall

The highlight though, is the model of Hogwarts which draws gasps every time. There is so much to see over here that you will not be able to grasp it all in three hours which is the only time you get on this tour. Gift shops with mountains of merchandise are available too though they could be a bit on the pricey side.

Hagrid’s hut

When it comes to the sets, you can look but not touch. The rooms are cordoned off behind ropes, so there’s no chance of perching on Harry’s dorm room bed or settling down in Hagrid’s hut but you can experience a treasure trove of thousands of intricate and beautifully-made artefacts which were exclusively used in the films.

Diagon Alley

For anyone who bawled their eyes out, like me, on their 11^th birthday for not having received the acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this is a must visit.

• About the Author

About Shreya Chaudhury

First of all, if you are going to use incorrect grammar, steer clear of Shreya Chaudhury. A proper grammar Nazi, a hardcore music enthusiast (never seen without her headphones), a professional baarat dancer and a die hard Jeffrey Archer fan, you will probably find this 17 year old with a novel in hand, day dreaming about all these places she wants to travel in the future. If only time machines worked..