Hogwarts in the Snow (why it’s a must for Harry Potter fans)

Not much in life excites me as much as Christmas does.

Harry Potter is one of those rare things. Snow is another.

So when I was invited to preview Hogwarts in the Snow just before the festive season kicked off I was like a little kid at…well, at Christmas.

I’ve taken the Warner Bros. Studio Tour before – and loved it – so I wasn’t sure if the Hogwarts in the Snow tour would be much different this time (although I was pumped to get to visit the incredible sets again).

Spoiler alert: it was the same – and it was totally different.

How is that possible? Well, if you’re not really a Harry Potter fan you might not get worked up into a total frenzy over seeing the very same Great Hall that you’d seen before, now transformed into a magical festive wonderland.

But fans will, as I did, go nuts over the tiniest levels of detail that have been added – like witches circling the tops of the Christmas trees instead of angels, or Christmas puddings that spontaneously burst into flames.

It is truly magical.

In the same way, Privet Drive looks exactly the same, apart from the snow falling from the sky, completely transforming the scene and taking you into Harry Potter’s world from a brand new perspective.

I may have squealed – a lot – at this point.

Common rooms were decked in tinsel, the Weasley’s cottage had been lovingly prepared for Christmas dinner, and Diagon Alley was adorned with a dusting of snow that never melted. And the pièce de résistance was the full scale model of Hogwarts completely covered in a blanket of white, fresh snow.

It was tricky to photograph, but I tried to capture it as best I could. It didn’t help that I was too excited to stay in the same spot for more than a few seconds, though.

Although not Christmassy in any way, I practically lost my mind when I walked around a corner and was greeted by the Hogwarts Express, whistling and spouting steam on platform nine and three quarters.

I couldn’t contain myself. This whole section of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour was added sometime after I first visited, so it was a complete surprise and I LOVED it.

Don’t believe me? This was my face for basically the entire tour:

From start to finish, the whole Hogwarts in the Snow experience was pure, joyous fun. It offered the kind of childlike wonder and delight that’s so hard to find these days, and allowed me to escape into the fantastical world that J.K. Rowling dreamed up all of those years ago.

The event I attended was the preview for press and VIPs, so there were some extra surprises in store for us, which just added to the incredible evening. There were smoking blue drinks, mince pies and one of my highlights of the evening, bumping into Nadiya from Great British Bake Off.

I totally gushed over her, but instead of looking at me like a crazy fan girl, she offered to have a photo taken with me instead. So lovely!

So now that I’ve been to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour twice, would I go again?

ABSOLUTELY!

If you haven’t been before, book your ticket now. Seriously. And if you have been, but haven’t checked out Hogwarts in the Snow, don’t miss out! The Christmas event is for a limited time only, but it happens every year – so even if you don’t get a ticket before it ends this season, plan it in for the end of 2016. I certainly will.

Thanks so much to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London for inviting me along to this incredible event (and thanks for the epic mince pies)!

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