September 1, 2017 was an auspicious date for many Harry Potter fans. It was on this date that a grown-up Harry Potter saw his children off on their inaugural trip to Hogwarts, bringing Rowling’s epic sorcery saga to a close in the epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, succinctly titled “19 Years Later.” While many fans took to the Internet to share their favorite Harry Potter memories or, in my case, shake their fist at the heavens that J.K. Rowling thought “Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy” wasn’t the single dumbest name in a series of arguably dumb names, Nerdist decided to celebrate in style by sending one of the biggest Harry Potter fanatics we know, Erika Ishii, to MuggleNet’s “Nineteen Years Later” event at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando. The best part is that we filmed the entire thing, so peer into our Pensieve above to see what a magical time was had by all.
The spellbinding evening brought together superfans from all over the world with stars like Chris Rankin (“Percy Weasley”), Christian Coulson (“Tom Marvolo Riddle”), Luke Youngblood (“Lee Jordan”), Sean Biggerstaff (“Oliver Wood”), and many more to celebrate their shared passion for all things Harry Potter. From reminiscing with the cast about what it means to be a part of the series to riding the Hogwarts Express to teaching Oliver Wood how to properly cast spells, Erika did it all and more than earned an “Outstanding” on her O.W.L.s and made us wish that there were more Harry Potter books and movies coming out soon. Sure, we have more Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to look forward too, but what about a TV show while we’re at it? Fingers crossed it’ll happen before another 19 years passes.
How did you celebrate Harry Potter’s “19 Years Later” anniversary? Let us know in the comments below!
What else is happening in the world of Harry Potter?
- Didn’t get into Hogwarts? You can own Harry Potter’s actual acceptance letter.
- We had the voice of Bart Simpson read scenes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
- Here’s how to make your own alcoholic butterbeer
Is Dumbledore secretly the incarnation of Death itself?
Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@DanCasey).
Editor’s note: Travel and lodging for this event were provided by MuggleNet.
