Witches, wizards, squibs and muggles descended on Nomad Books to Lumios up Harry Potter Book Night to ‘Alohomora’ the wizarding world of Hogwarts in Fulham yesterday evening.
Kids from Fulham, still awaiting their Hogwarts letters from Hedwig, celebrated the evening with quizzes, the making of wizard hats, owls, a treasure hunt and musical Harrys to Petrificus Totalus.
Accio and Wingardium Leviosa are the two most used spells throughout the books and at the event this was no exception as Hedwigs’s tune Thestral’d through the charming Reducio independent book shop.
Children’s book seller, Tara Pahari, 23, said it was her obsession with the books and the films that enticed her to hold the evening in their Grand Hall.
She said: “The first book came out in year six and since them I have been completely obsessed with the books, it became just life.
“Last year I also ran the event but I feel this year went more smoothly, I wanted the children to enjoy it and for it to not be so competitive.
Along with school friend Camilla Borges, 24, and colleague Aude Bolechala, 28, all three of them took on a transfiguration of a Hogwarts professor or animal with Ms Borges declaring her love for Professor Snape always.
Ms Pahari said she could never truly decide who her favourite character was but she did not spending time moaning Myrtle over the tough choice.
She said: “I do love young Sirus Black rather than the older, although I do like him too, I just think when he is young, especially in the books, he is so cool.
“Obviously in my fantasy world I would be dating Sirus, a girl can dream though.”
As the children started to fly away home on their Firebolts, Ms Borges, Ms Pahari and Ms Bolechala created their own magic with sparklers and the sound of Expecto Patronum could be heard through Parsons Green.
The roars of Expellearmus, and the deadly curse of Avada Kedavra rung out in more than 10,500 books stores, schools, libraries and homes in London and throughout the UK to tie in with the theme of this year’s book night A Night of Spells.
The event is run by Bloomsbury Books and began in 2015 after they discovered the whole nation was Amortentia over the young wizard and his duels with the dark Lord.
It has been 19 years since the first book was published and with new wizards and witches continuing to read the books and the films the characters continue to enchant audiences.
