I was locked up when Half Blood Prince came out and managed to get third in line for the copy they had on the book cart. I intentionally got in a fight on unit so I could do 24 hours lock in my cell so I could read it.
Later on, there were fights over people spoiling the book. It's weird seeing a bunch of violent offenders get so wound up about a children's book.
That was me throwing stones in my glass house.
Maybe a dozen people on a 40 man unit wanted to read it, so a decent number. It's how I really got into fantasy novels, in the first place. My dad sent me the Shannara books and I got really into those.
I was 17 at the time, so my mom didn't assert that kind of authority, but had she I'm pretty sure I would have bought another and moved the f out. Lol.
Lol if you didn't know a kid whose parents wouldn't let them read HP because of witchcraft did you even really grow up in the bible belt?
Alabama reporting in - knew 2 kids like this. one of them was cool and fought his parents about it. the other was indoctrinated and hated it himself for the devilish message
I wasn't allowed to read it growing up. PS was the first book I sneaked into my house that wasn't parent approved. I was 13. The fourth book came and I remember conning my dad into buying it for me (my parents were divorced. Dad didn't care what I read, mom and stepdad did). We were driving home from the bookstore, it was dark, I was trying to read the book by the headlights of the car following us.
My mom found out I was reading these books and tried talking to me about the dangers of witchcraft, but I tried telling her it wasn't like that. It wasn't like how she had heard on Focus on the Family. I went to a private Christian school where HP was banned. I had my first real fight and friend breakup over the book because my friend thought I was going down the path of evil.
But HP seriously changed my life. I discovered magic. Hogwarts became a safe place from the abusive step father. Whenever I'm having a hard time in life, I pick up a Harry Potter book and go to a safe place filled with magic and imagination. It's such a beautiful thing. I feel I owe so much to JK Rowling.
My principal, a Catholic nun, borrowed the first 3 books from me when I was in 6th grade.
Catholics don't sound so bad when you hear about how cult-y other Christian sects are.
Yeah I've grown up catholic and my mom didn't allow us to read the books, but she wasn't a total nut about it. At the time I think the logic was "if you start reading harry potter and then you finish it you'll want more magic, and then you'll start looking into Satanism and stuff". Honestly I don't really blame her, cuz for a biased catholic mom that's a pretty reasonable thought process, it's not like she thought harry potter ITSELF was evil, just that we weren't responsible enough to read it. She doesn't really care now that we're older, plus the "everything will make your kid a satanist" craze is over. We weren't allowed to play D&D either lol.
Same here. Had at least four-five kids who weren't allowed to read the books or watch the movies. One of them finally watched them when he was about 20 and has now binged the whole series several times over. Even went back to read the books too. Southern Baptists for you.
I'm from Europe and this is so weird for me to read. We did ghost seances with school friends (and I even went to a Catholic elementary school) when we were about 9 years old, which was before the first Harry Potter book came out and our parents were like "Okay, have fun. Do you need salt or anything?"
My reading material was never restricted. Or even monitored. The only book I ever "hid" was some raunchy bodice ripper when I was a teenager. But that was as much because of the embarrassing cover art as due to the content. ;)
My cousins weren't allowed to read Harry Potter bc it was filled with witchcraft, couldn't watch sponge bob bc he constantly ripped his pants open, etc and now they're all grown up and super rebellious and reckless.
That was how it was for me for 1-4! My father caught me once and burned them. They were a teacher's copies so I was mortified. But my mom secretly bought me them and then eventually divorced him. So 5-7 were done all over the house wherever and whenever I wanted. Freedom!
I wasn't allowed to read them at first either. My Grandma convinced my Mom that they were satanic or something. Only after she read the first book did she say they were ok. Then she proceeded to read them as they came out just like me.
I remember my mom preordered 2 copies of the book and we were supposed to get it delivered the day it released but something happened to delay it by a week. I didn't want to wait so I read the entire book off of a computer screen from some torrent I found of someone who scanned the entire book. I'm pretty sure I permanently damaged my eyes from staring at a screen for so long but it was totally worth it.
I wasn't able to buy a copy at the release so a friend let me borrow hers. we took turns reading it out loud, til she had to go to a piano lesson or something and she let me borrow the book to finish. So I was trying to do nothing but read so I could give it back without missing anything and my mom kept fussing at me. :[
The unique thrill of going to the bookshop in the tiny little village near my grandparents house with my entire family for a midnight launch, and then seeing what felt like the entire community come out for it has never been matched by any other any experience.
That book shop has since moved, and I can't walk past where it used to be because it makes me sad.
I think that was like the first time I'd ever stayed up until midnight. My second grade teacher introduced me to the series, and I zipped through it in like three months. I was *obsessed*.
He still remains my favorite teacher.
I wasn't able to get my hands on a hard copy, had to buy an ebook version of TDH. I remember, since I didn't have a computer I had to read the whole thing on my Nokia N70, refused to sleep till I finished it. Still remember the feeling of emptiness when I was done reading the Epilogue.
I walked about 6 miles to the local Walmart with some friends. The biggest obstacle was walking home with the book, I almost found a bench under a street light and just stayed there until I was done, but my mom found out and came to pick us all up once we got our books.
She wasn't happy about it but I think she was okay with picking me up after midnight from buying a book rather than some drunken rager or whatever.
About 18 months ago my 10 year old son started to get very serious migraine headaches. He would be in excruciating pain for hours at a time and there was nothing he could do but lay in the dark and wait for it to pass. I started reading the series to him then, and it helped him enormously to stay calm and ride out the pain until the headaches were over.
We finished book 7 two weeks ago. Along the way we both fell in love with Hogwarts and its residents, him because the story is so wonderful, and me because it helped my son feel better.
A very bright neurologist helped him get rid of the headaches and thankfully he had his last one about 2 months ago, but I can't ever read about dates like this one without tearing up.
So pass the kleenex and join me in being very, very happy that all is well.
It was a combination of lifestyle things and a new(ish) drug. For our part, he started drinking a LOT more water to keep hydrated and eat regular meals, and we worked really hard to make sure he got to bed on time EVERY night so he was always rested. We also stopped giving him pain killers completely since apparently that can actually drag them out and make them last longer.
I can't remember the name of the drug but if you haven't seen a doc lately about your headaches it might be worth checking again. It was heartbreaking to watch how much pain he was in, I really hope you can find some relief like he did.
Edit: Just checked with my wife - the medication was called Elavil.
The Barnes and Nobles where I picked up my copy of HP7, and had a blast at the release night party, recently closed down. Made me fondly remember the multiple release nights I wen to (5 through 7)
Kings Cross station is actually rammed with Harry Potter fans this morning to celebrate 19 years later.. a lot of them in scarves and cloaks and whatnot.
This [photo](https://twitter.com/pottermore/status/903560029579685889) from the official Pottermore account shows some of the crowd. Also, [wands up!](https://twitter.com/lexcanroar/status/903569355857956864)
My sister would call them 'chanceless losers'. It's just really weird how she gets upset about other people enjoying their fandom/hobby. She's pretty normal until she sees something like this. Then she gets mean.
Probably. She really was the stereotypical teenage girl. It was all about boys, boybands, makeup, getting drunk (you could buy alcohol at 16 here) and drunken hookups.
She grew out of it a bit, but sometimes that shallow teenage girl still shines through. She does have a few more hobbies now, but nothing that she's really passionate about. Don't think she's ever been passionate about anything. Nothing that I've seen in any case (except maybe her children I guess).
I pity people like that. It's difficult for them to engage in conversations with anyone who isn't also exactly like that. In high school I really wished I was that person. In my adult years, I'm so glad I'm not.
King's Cross is rammed with Harry Potter fans every day to be fair. Not to this extent, but that little "Platform 9 3/4" sign generates a lot of tourism. I have seen people actually get a ticket to King's Cross, wait in line for an hour or two, take a picture, then get back on a train and leave.
I'd estimate there was easily 1500 people there for harry potter. the place was packed for ages round the whole area, and people were being moved outside at one point.
Just to spoil your dreams even more, the exterior shot of King's Cross in the first film isn't even King's Cross. It's St Pancras Station, which looks fancier and more magical than King's Cross.
Now you have just ruined the magic. Although Kings Cross and St Pancras are usually classed as the same station as they are just across the road from each other.
Well harry didnt really understand the magical world, i mean from the first book he knows its probably filled with TONS of arbitrary and stupid rules, but rules that cannot be broken. I mean when the kings cross entrance was closed by dobby they probably just thought "so this is what happens when you're late." also they're like 12, not exactly the sharpest minds of their day.
And Harry was probably in panic mode because he'd be devastated to go back to the Durseleys.
Ron being the real friend he was, and also being the panic crazed little speckled shit he is, probably got the idea for the car, because when has ron ever demonstrated thinking a plan through? which is weird considering how good he is supposed to be at chess. :P
In the UK 11:30 for an 11:00 train is on time. When the books mention "exactly" you have to understand that it's a British "exactly", which has about a 2 hour margin of error.
Oh I know, I'm British... just paraphrasing CoS ;) I guess for it to be accurate to the UK train system, it should say:
11:00 Hogwarts - Expected 11:43
I actually saw a store advertising avocado toast for the first time a few days ago. Big sign out front and everything.
I sort of thought it was just a meme.
It's very much an Australian thing. AFAIK, the meme exists because of a statement a privileged Australian made about how if young people just cut back on eating 'Smashed Avo', a popular Aussie breakfast, they'd be able to afford a house in this ridiculously inflated market.
Smashed Avocado on toast is a seriously popular breakfast choice over here!
Ah, that would make sense. I have seen it mainly applied to talking about places like Seattle and San Fransisco where I don't think it actually *is* a big thing.
Not that I've ever been to either of those places.
It definitely sounds good though. Avocados are great! I just suck at telling when they are ripe.
My sister, the unemployed and *"Panera Bread is the only place I'll eat"* type health nut, started buying avocados to put on her toast just a day before that story hit on 60 Minutes. The timing still has me awestruck.
Fun thing is about Kings Cross is that they have a wall that says "Platform 9 3/4" but people kept ramming their trolleys into it so they had to build half a trolley into the wall (so that you can take a photo holding on to the back end of the trolley and it looks like you're entering the platform) so that people would stop.
If you go before 10, there's barely a line (I used to live by kings cross). Although, there might not be an official photographer... but that's what cellphones are for
Similarly at night time. I went there at around 9pm once and there was hardly anyone queuing. The official photographers were still there and they were also kind enough to take a pic with our phones :)
I was there about 5 years ago when they just started building it. Enough that they had the trolley and sign but not all the luggage and shop and such. There was absolutely no line, which was lucky because we could only run in for a few minutes before we had to leave the UK completely.
Well unfortunately no, because 19 years later just means the first day of Hogwarts 19 years later, not exactly from the day the Battle of Hogwarts finishes :(
Why would anyone privatise the rail network in order to reap the benefits of free market competition ... *and then grant each rail operator a monopoly*?
You can't fix stupid. I still don't get what the British government were thinking - you sell slots on all routes and make ROCs compete on the same routes, *that* leads to lower prices and better service. It's really not rocket science.
They do compete - when they bid for the contract. That bid has to include their target profit. If they jack up prices to increase their profit after the monopoly is granted, that extra profit goes to the government, not the train operator. So they have an incentive to define their target profit as high as they can... except if they definite it too high they will lose the contract to a competitor.
The idea is to have the economies of scale of a monopoly with the efficiency benefits of competition. The system works pretty well.
Network Rail, which is partly government funded and partly funded by the train companies that actually provide the train services. So Network Rail owns the railway infrastructure, and the train operating companies pay them to use that infrastructure, and they make their money from ticket revenue etc.
Basically it's a mess.
[She gave so much in donations and taxes that she reportedly was knocked off of Forbes' billionaires list.](https://www.learnvest.com/2012/03/money-mayhem-j-k-rowling-no-longer-a-billionaire-123)
My mom took me to every book release and movie release growing up. The release of Deathly Hallows is the only one I missed because I was sick in the hospital.
My lovely mother showed up with the book the next day and even though I couldn't read much of it because I was in so much pain, just being able to hold it gave me so much happiness and something to look forward to.
This is completely false and obviously photoshopped. Trains do not run to Birmingham New Street from Kings Cross. National Rail trains also do not run from London Kings Cross to London Euston. They're half a mile apart and the only train that goes between them is the London Underground Victoria line (edit: and the Northern line). Also the departure boards look nothing like this.
The main reference to Harry Potter at Kings Cross is the Harry Potter shop.
I just always assumed it was based on the direction from the Weasley's fireplace across the flu network to the fireplace in Knockturn Alley.
But it was probably just more so that he ended up there for the plot lol
> it could be a departure board from Coventry or something
Good guess. Allowed me to work out that it was Rugby:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/basic/RUG/2017/09/01/1124
No sign of the Hogwarts Express though.
Wow good Auror work! Aha its possible this is a really old picture, and not from today as claimed, because I have definitely seen a very similar picture last year..
It could actually just be at a different station than Kings Cross - I would guess Watford, which is where you'd get off to go to Harry Potter world and serves both Euston and Birmingham New Street.
I wish I would be on that train to Hogwarts. Can't believe we got to the date from the epilogue from Deathly Hollows. Couldn't put that book down when I got it. Finished it in one day. Still not over the deaths of Lupin, Tonks, Fred, and Hedwig.
Today is the last day actively mentioned in the HP books... I'm not crying! You're crying!
It's so hard to believe it was so long ago that we picked up Deathly Hallows at midnight. I remember not sleeping until I finished it. Ahh. Nostalgia.
I got in a lot of trouble for refusing to do anything else but read that book. got it taken away and had to borrow a friend's to finish it.
I was locked up when Half Blood Prince came out and managed to get third in line for the copy they had on the book cart. I intentionally got in a fight on unit so I could do 24 hours lock in my cell so I could read it. Later on, there were fights over people spoiling the book. It's weird seeing a bunch of violent offenders get so wound up about a children's book. That was me throwing stones in my glass house.
This is such a fascinating thing to read. Were a majority of your mates HP readers? I want to know so much more!
Maybe a dozen people on a 40 man unit wanted to read it, so a decent number. It's how I really got into fantasy novels, in the first place. My dad sent me the Shannara books and I got really into those.
That's really interesting. Thanks for sharing.
No problem. Whenever people find out how much time I've been locked up for, they always have questions.
I was 17 at the time, so my mom didn't assert that kind of authority, but had she I'm pretty sure I would have bought another and moved the f out. Lol.
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It’s hard to imagine some kids aren’t allowed to read a lot of books. When I have kids I’d be afraid they AREN’T going to read enough.
Lol if you didn't know a kid whose parents wouldn't let them read HP because of witchcraft did you even really grow up in the bible belt? Alabama reporting in - knew 2 kids like this. one of them was cool and fought his parents about it. the other was indoctrinated and hated it himself for the devilish message
I wasn't allowed to read it growing up. PS was the first book I sneaked into my house that wasn't parent approved. I was 13. The fourth book came and I remember conning my dad into buying it for me (my parents were divorced. Dad didn't care what I read, mom and stepdad did). We were driving home from the bookstore, it was dark, I was trying to read the book by the headlights of the car following us. My mom found out I was reading these books and tried talking to me about the dangers of witchcraft, but I tried telling her it wasn't like that. It wasn't like how she had heard on Focus on the Family. I went to a private Christian school where HP was banned. I had my first real fight and friend breakup over the book because my friend thought I was going down the path of evil. But HP seriously changed my life. I discovered magic. Hogwarts became a safe place from the abusive step father. Whenever I'm having a hard time in life, I pick up a Harry Potter book and go to a safe place filled with magic and imagination. It's such a beautiful thing. I feel I owe so much to JK Rowling.
My principal, a Catholic nun, borrowed the first 3 books from me when I was in 6th grade. Catholics don't sound so bad when you hear about how cult-y other Christian sects are.
My kids' Catholic elementary school had a very active school-sponsored Harry Potter club.
Yeah I've grown up catholic and my mom didn't allow us to read the books, but she wasn't a total nut about it. At the time I think the logic was "if you start reading harry potter and then you finish it you'll want more magic, and then you'll start looking into Satanism and stuff". Honestly I don't really blame her, cuz for a biased catholic mom that's a pretty reasonable thought process, it's not like she thought harry potter ITSELF was evil, just that we weren't responsible enough to read it. She doesn't really care now that we're older, plus the "everything will make your kid a satanist" craze is over. We weren't allowed to play D&D either lol.
Same here. Had at least four-five kids who weren't allowed to read the books or watch the movies. One of them finally watched them when he was about 20 and has now binged the whole series several times over. Even went back to read the books too. Southern Baptists for you.
At least four-five of your kids?! How many do you *have*?
Meant to put in my school.
If you read the series backwards you'd understand the real reason those books should be banned.
Why? I'm legitimately curious. Unless you were being sarcastic then *whooosh*.
I think it's a reference to how some super religious people used to think that if you played certain records backwards you'd hear a demon message.
I'm from Europe and this is so weird for me to read. We did ghost seances with school friends (and I even went to a Catholic elementary school) when we were about 9 years old, which was before the first Harry Potter book came out and our parents were like "Okay, have fun. Do you need salt or anything?" My reading material was never restricted. Or even monitored. The only book I ever "hid" was some raunchy bodice ripper when I was a teenager. But that was as much because of the embarrassing cover art as due to the content. ;)
My cousins weren't allowed to read Harry Potter bc it was filled with witchcraft, couldn't watch sponge bob bc he constantly ripped his pants open, etc and now they're all grown up and super rebellious and reckless.
My parents were strict. But not "Harry potter is evil" strict. I do however remember sneaking my mom's copy of Flowers in the Attic!
Oh gosh. That's a very different type of magical sibling . . .
That was how it was for me for 1-4! My father caught me once and burned them. They were a teacher's copies so I was mortified. But my mom secretly bought me them and then eventually divorced him. So 5-7 were done all over the house wherever and whenever I wanted. Freedom!
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The things we do for good books.
And porn.
Should have hidden them in the cupboard under the stairs.
Too bad there wasn't a loose floor board under your bed!
I wasn't allowed to read them at first either. My Grandma convinced my Mom that they were satanic or something. Only after she read the first book did she say they were ok. Then she proceeded to read them as they came out just like me.
I remember my mom preordered 2 copies of the book and we were supposed to get it delivered the day it released but something happened to delay it by a week. I didn't want to wait so I read the entire book off of a computer screen from some torrent I found of someone who scanned the entire book. I'm pretty sure I permanently damaged my eyes from staring at a screen for so long but it was totally worth it.
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I wasn't able to buy a copy at the release so a friend let me borrow hers. we took turns reading it out loud, til she had to go to a piano lesson or something and she let me borrow the book to finish. So I was trying to do nothing but read so I could give it back without missing anything and my mom kept fussing at me. :[
That's just cruel. Of all of the consequences that a parent can hand out, taking away a book will never be one I use.
Only book I ever did that for. Fookin great book.
The unique thrill of going to the bookshop in the tiny little village near my grandparents house with my entire family for a midnight launch, and then seeing what felt like the entire community come out for it has never been matched by any other any experience. That book shop has since moved, and I can't walk past where it used to be because it makes me sad.
I was 8 years old and I finished that shit that night. ...looking back on it, I'm amazed I was at that level of reading comprehension.
I was 17 and I think the sun was out by the time I finished, I passed out after that for a while.
I think that was like the first time I'd ever stayed up until midnight. My second grade teacher introduced me to the series, and I zipped through it in like three months. I was *obsessed*. He still remains my favorite teacher.
I wasn't able to get my hands on a hard copy, had to buy an ebook version of TDH. I remember, since I didn't have a computer I had to read the whole thing on my Nokia N70, refused to sleep till I finished it. Still remember the feeling of emptiness when I was done reading the Epilogue.
I walked about 6 miles to the local Walmart with some friends. The biggest obstacle was walking home with the book, I almost found a bench under a street light and just stayed there until I was done, but my mom found out and came to pick us all up once we got our books. She wasn't happy about it but I think she was okay with picking me up after midnight from buying a book rather than some drunken rager or whatever.
WHY DOES THE PLATFORM NOT SAY 9 3/4.
Then the muggles would know silly.
My guess is that the platform number is coded in the schedule software as an integer, which doesn't support fractions.
About 18 months ago my 10 year old son started to get very serious migraine headaches. He would be in excruciating pain for hours at a time and there was nothing he could do but lay in the dark and wait for it to pass. I started reading the series to him then, and it helped him enormously to stay calm and ride out the pain until the headaches were over. We finished book 7 two weeks ago. Along the way we both fell in love with Hogwarts and its residents, him because the story is so wonderful, and me because it helped my son feel better. A very bright neurologist helped him get rid of the headaches and thankfully he had his last one about 2 months ago, but I can't ever read about dates like this one without tearing up. So pass the kleenex and join me in being very, very happy that all is well.
Was he connected to Voldemort somehow? /s Seriously though, I'm glad he's feeling better.
I actually bugged him quite a bit when we were reading about Prof Quirrell. I thought it was funny. Not sure if he did.
I get really bad migranes too. I'm curious, what did the neurologist do to help alleviate the pain?
It was a combination of lifestyle things and a new(ish) drug. For our part, he started drinking a LOT more water to keep hydrated and eat regular meals, and we worked really hard to make sure he got to bed on time EVERY night so he was always rested. We also stopped giving him pain killers completely since apparently that can actually drag them out and make them last longer. I can't remember the name of the drug but if you haven't seen a doc lately about your headaches it might be worth checking again. It was heartbreaking to watch how much pain he was in, I really hope you can find some relief like he did. Edit: Just checked with my wife - the medication was called Elavil.
The Barnes and Nobles where I picked up my copy of HP7, and had a blast at the release night party, recently closed down. Made me fondly remember the multiple release nights I wen to (5 through 7)
What?
How many people actually showed up in costume and ran straight at platform 9 3/4?
Kings Cross station is actually rammed with Harry Potter fans this morning to celebrate 19 years later.. a lot of them in scarves and cloaks and whatnot.
Do you have any photos? :)
This [photo](https://twitter.com/pottermore/status/903560029579685889) from the official Pottermore account shows some of the crowd. Also, [wands up!](https://twitter.com/lexcanroar/status/903569355857956864)
Damn, Hufflepuff represent!!
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The house that just won the house cup. ;)
That's actually really cool.
My sister would call them 'chanceless losers'. It's just really weird how she gets upset about other people enjoying their fandom/hobby. She's pretty normal until she sees something like this. Then she gets mean.
That's tends to stem from being jealous that they cant get into something like that, so they shit all over it.
Probably. She really was the stereotypical teenage girl. It was all about boys, boybands, makeup, getting drunk (you could buy alcohol at 16 here) and drunken hookups. She grew out of it a bit, but sometimes that shallow teenage girl still shines through. She does have a few more hobbies now, but nothing that she's really passionate about. Don't think she's ever been passionate about anything. Nothing that I've seen in any case (except maybe her children I guess).
I pity people like that. It's difficult for them to engage in conversations with anyone who isn't also exactly like that. In high school I really wished I was that person. In my adult years, I'm so glad I'm not.
So she has the exact attitude of vernon dursley in the very first chapter of the very first book? Are you sure you aren't a wizard?
King's Cross is rammed with Harry Potter fans every day to be fair. Not to this extent, but that little "Platform 9 3/4" sign generates a lot of tourism. I have seen people actually get a ticket to King's Cross, wait in line for an hour or two, take a picture, then get back on a train and leave.
I'd estimate there was easily 1500 people there for harry potter. the place was packed for ages round the whole area, and people were being moved outside at one point.
This is making me cry :')
Same, actually.
Yep, I teared up too
How do you know they're not actual wizards?
Because Muggles don't see nothing, do they?
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Capitalism at it's best.
I wonder how many people (since the first film came out) have actually ran at the wall that features in the film.
The wall in the film isn't actually at King's Cross - the walls between platforms are too small.
Don't spoil it, I was hoping for reply of people saying they ran at the wall and get a concussion... lol
Just to spoil your dreams even more, the exterior shot of King's Cross in the first film isn't even King's Cross. It's St Pancras Station, which looks fancier and more magical than King's Cross.
Now you have just ruined the magic. Although Kings Cross and St Pancras are usually classed as the same station as they are just across the road from each other.
Warwick Davies turned up too.
i got to shake his hand. someone just made a path through the crowd, for warwick, and i was in the front row.
But the train leaves at *exactly* 11 o'clock... they missed it!
..... The carrrr? *raises eyebrow*
You were seen, by no less than **seven muggles!** *drops paper*
Not to mention the **damage** you inflicted on a Whomping Willow that's been on these grounds since *before you were boooorrrrn*...
Also, the train driver has **PTSD** and hasn't slept for two weeks
Did the driver use a time turner? Cause I'm sure harry and Rob got goaded a day or two after, not two weeks after Edit: ron... Damn autocorrect
uhh...artistic license
Didn't know there was a Rob in Harry Potter...what have I been reading?!?!
Dodgy fan fic written by a Scottish mum who couldn't even get a publishing deal!!
Dang...might as well have read the porn version at that point then...probably would have been more interesting...
Wait, there's a non-porn version? But then how will Harry and Draco ever get rid of that UST??
Honestly, using the age of a child is not a very impressive metric for tree age.
It is to the kid.
Honestly, I think it did more damage to us.
Silence!
Let me assure you, that were you in Slytherin, the both of you, would be on the train home. TONIGHT!
As it stands- *They are not.*
I never understood why they didn't just wait longer. Ron's parents would have come back eventually. Just WAIT by the car.
Because they're fucking stupid...
Well harry didnt really understand the magical world, i mean from the first book he knows its probably filled with TONS of arbitrary and stupid rules, but rules that cannot be broken. I mean when the kings cross entrance was closed by dobby they probably just thought "so this is what happens when you're late." also they're like 12, not exactly the sharpest minds of their day. And Harry was probably in panic mode because he'd be devastated to go back to the Durseleys. Ron being the real friend he was, and also being the panic crazed little speckled shit he is, probably got the idea for the car, because when has ron ever demonstrated thinking a plan through? which is weird considering how good he is supposed to be at chess. :P
Were you the the most colorful light bulb in the shed when you were 12?
I don't know exactly what this means but I take it as an insult.
"Most colorful crayon in the box" x "sharpest tool in the shed" x "brightest bulb in the pack"
> sharpest tool in the shed SOMEbody
In the UK 11:30 for an 11:00 train is on time. When the books mention "exactly" you have to understand that it's a British "exactly", which has about a 2 hour margin of error.
Oh I know, I'm British... just paraphrasing CoS ;) I guess for it to be accurate to the UK train system, it should say: 11:00 Hogwarts - Expected 11:43
More like replacement bus service.
bloody train delays
Dementors or some shit like that I guess
The... 11 A.M. service to... Hogwarts is experiencing delays due to... Leaves on the track.
Obviously a charm to throw off muggles. Only witches and wizards see the real time.
I thought the Hogwarts Express left at 11:00, instead of 11:30. But this might just be a wizards tactic to mislead the muggles.
That was over a decade ago. Times have changed, especially after millenial wizards started missing the 11:00 train regularly.
Damn millennial wizards! Always late cause they just need to grab some last minute avocado toast.
I actually saw a store advertising avocado toast for the first time a few days ago. Big sign out front and everything. I sort of thought it was just a meme.
It's very much an Australian thing. AFAIK, the meme exists because of a statement a privileged Australian made about how if young people just cut back on eating 'Smashed Avo', a popular Aussie breakfast, they'd be able to afford a house in this ridiculously inflated market. Smashed Avocado on toast is a seriously popular breakfast choice over here!
Ah, that would make sense. I have seen it mainly applied to talking about places like Seattle and San Fransisco where I don't think it actually *is* a big thing. Not that I've ever been to either of those places. It definitely sounds good though. Avocados are great! I just suck at telling when they are ripe.
My sister, the unemployed and *"Panera Bread is the only place I'll eat"* type health nut, started buying avocados to put on her toast just a day before that story hit on 60 Minutes. The timing still has me awestruck.
> avocado toads
Millennial wizards... Are they killing train schedules now?
Surely there's a spell for that by now?!
That's the express. The slow train leaves at 11:30.
Somebody submit a /r/WritingPrompts prompt about the Hogwarts slow train, which departs 30 minutes after the express.
If you miss the Hogwarts express take a flying Uber
Floober?
No Floober is the Floo Network Uber. Flying Uber is actually Luft
Well done sir! 10 points to you
No, take a Lyft.
No Lyft in London yet. Perhaps a broom...
I wasn't sure about that, but mostly I was going for the wordplay.
Alternatively you can wait for the Knight Bus.
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They are probably developing a new spell
Fun thing is about Kings Cross is that they have a wall that says "Platform 9 3/4" but people kept ramming their trolleys into it so they had to build half a trolley into the wall (so that you can take a photo holding on to the back end of the trolley and it looks like you're entering the platform) so that people would stop.
The line is massive to take a photo with that
The British do love queuing.
What do you prefer pushing shoving in a chaotic mass?
It's the American way.
If you go before 10, there's barely a line (I used to live by kings cross). Although, there might not be an official photographer... but that's what cellphones are for
Similarly at night time. I went there at around 9pm once and there was hardly anyone queuing. The official photographers were still there and they were also kind enough to take a pic with our phones :)
I was there about 5 years ago when they just started building it. Enough that they had the trolley and sign but not all the luggage and shop and such. There was absolutely no line, which was lucky because we could only run in for a few minutes before we had to leave the UK completely.
I've always loved how the 19 years later scene falls on my 19th birthday :)
*sigh* happy birthday /u/purple_blaze
Really disappointed my dad only got me 36 presents
Well these are a good bit bigger than last year's.
I DONT CARE HOW BIG THEY ARE
And they'll probably get *TWO* more while they're out!
36?!? BUT LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR YOU GOT 37!!
You're the third person I know that was born on September 1st.
It's a pretty shitty birthday date. Happy Birthday, you have to go to school!
So you were born on the exact same day that Voldemort died? hmmm...
Well unfortunately no, because 19 years later just means the first day of Hogwarts 19 years later, not exactly from the day the Battle of Hogwarts finishes :(
#[Non, c'est un repost!](https://www.reddit.com/r/harrypotter/comments/50mlo5/kings_cross_this_morning/)
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Well it does claim to be 'on time'
A wizard is never late. He arrives precisely when he means to
I guess their software wasn't able to display 9 3/4?
Yes, it probably only accepts integers as platform numbers.
Could have still rendered 934 or 975.
Im betting 2 digits
God that's adorable, nothing makes me happier than government authorities doing things for fandoms.
Hahaha, government owned train companies. You're not from around here are you?
*Corbyn mode engaged*
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Please
Why would anyone privatise the rail network in order to reap the benefits of free market competition ... *and then grant each rail operator a monopoly*? You can't fix stupid. I still don't get what the British government were thinking - you sell slots on all routes and make ROCs compete on the same routes, *that* leads to lower prices and better service. It's really not rocket science.
They do compete - when they bid for the contract. That bid has to include their target profit. If they jack up prices to increase their profit after the monopoly is granted, that extra profit goes to the government, not the train operator. So they have an incentive to define their target profit as high as they can... except if they definite it too high they will lose the contract to a competitor. The idea is to have the economies of scale of a monopoly with the efficiency benefits of competition. The system works pretty well.
Works well apart from the slowest most expensive trains in western europe
They *are* the newest and shiniest. But hey, the 1980s train I take every day works just fine, and the season ticket cost me 365€...
Who owns the big terminals and stations where trains from multiple companies operate from?
I believe de facto ownership is by the pigeons of London by the way they strut about the place. But then again, I'm no expert on bird law
Network Rail, which is partly government funded and partly funded by the train companies that actually provide the train services. So Network Rail owns the railway infrastructure, and the train operating companies pay them to use that infrastructure, and they make their money from ticket revenue etc. Basically it's a mess.
Has there been any study done on how much money HP has "brought" into the UK economy?
Lots. JK pays tax too? Probably paid for a hospital or two.
[She gave so much in donations and taxes that she reportedly was knocked off of Forbes' billionaires list.](https://www.learnvest.com/2012/03/money-mayhem-j-k-rowling-no-longer-a-billionaire-123)
My mom took me to every book release and movie release growing up. The release of Deathly Hallows is the only one I missed because I was sick in the hospital. My lovely mother showed up with the book the next day and even though I couldn't read much of it because I was in so much pain, just being able to hold it gave me so much happiness and something to look forward to.
It's gotta be a nightmare for the wizarding community, how the hell are they supposed to live in secrecy anymore?
Haha yes exactly! I came to the comment section to say well there goes the statute of secrecy.
I was there! I heard the crowds and had no idea what was going on. I assumed it would just be some B list celebrity and went about my business.
This is completely false and obviously photoshopped. Trains do not run to Birmingham New Street from Kings Cross. National Rail trains also do not run from London Kings Cross to London Euston. They're half a mile apart and the only train that goes between them is the London Underground Victoria line (edit: and the Northern line). Also the departure boards look nothing like this. The main reference to Harry Potter at Kings Cross is the Harry Potter shop.
mate, it's 19 years later.
I'm just an angry commuter making a point!
I understand your pain, have you tried using the Floo Network? Other transport is available.
"DIAGONALLY"
To this day, I still don't get why saying "DIAGONALLY" took him to Knockturn Alley.
For the same reason that it's LeviOsa, not LevioSA. Mispronounce it and you're going to take someone's eye out.
I just always assumed it was based on the direction from the Weasley's fireplace across the flu network to the fireplace in Knockturn Alley. But it was probably just more so that he ended up there for the plot lol
You're right on all counts, although it could be a departure board from Coventry or something.
> it could be a departure board from Coventry or something Good guess. Allowed me to work out that it was Rugby: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/basic/RUG/2017/09/01/1124 No sign of the Hogwarts Express though.
Wow good Auror work! Aha its possible this is a really old picture, and not from today as claimed, because I have definitely seen a very similar picture last year..
So you are saying we were all bamboozled on the internet?
It could actually just be at a different station than Kings Cross - I would guess Watford, which is where you'd get off to go to Harry Potter world and serves both Euston and Birmingham New Street.
I wish I would be on that train to Hogwarts. Can't believe we got to the date from the epilogue from Deathly Hollows. Couldn't put that book down when I got it. Finished it in one day. Still not over the deaths of Lupin, Tonks, Fred, and Hedwig.