The Magical Allure of the Harry Potter Fandom

 

(1) Harry Potter fan art depicting the characters of Ron, Hermione, and Harry

Defining the Harry Potter Fandom 

    The term "fandom" has been assigned broad definitions such as "the realm of fans and enthusiasts" (2), as well as more specific definitions like "the fans of a particular person, team, or fictional series, etc. regarded collectively as a community or subculture" (3). Considering these two definitions and the countless other similar interpretations for the word, it may be concluded that a "fandom" is essentially a group of people who share an interest in and passion for a specific person or thing. Therefore, the Harry Potter fandom may be effectively defined as the community of fans of J.K. Rowling's young adult fiction series titled Harry Potter. The series follows the story of Harry Potter and his best friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley as they attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a large and mystical school for young witches and wizards to learn how to use their magic. The main conflict throughout the series is Harry's constant battle against Voldemort, an evil wizard seeking immortality and world domination (4). This intriguing plot, combined with several other factors, have allowed this fandom to grow so large. Click here to view a list of 13 reasons why the Harry Potter series is so well-liked.

Fandom Festivities

       So far we know what the Harry Potter fandom is by its basic definition: the collective group of people who share a love for the Harry Potter series. However, to truly grasp the Harry Potter fandom, it is crucial to have a general awareness of the types of things that members of this fandom do to demonstrate their affiliation with this semi-official community. While there are no specific rules or requirements for an individual to be considered a part of the Harry Potter fandom, there are many people, typically the more devoted fans, who choose to participate in a number of Harry Potter related activities outside of just reading the series. 

Role Play

    One activity some especially dedicated, and typically younger, Harry Potter fans participate in is role play. In very simple terms, role play involves individuals assuming the roles of certain characters and participating in a fantasy world governed by "game masters," or people who organize role play games (5). According to Brenner, the main function of Harry Potter role play is to provide a form of escape from the real world. There are three main types of Harry Potter role play: online, tabletop, and live action. Online role-playing is the most common type of Harry Potter role play and occurs online, as suggested by its name. Tabletop role playing occurs through the use of Harry Potter themed tabletop games designed to guide players in through role play situations. Live action role play, also known as Larp, takes place in person and typically involves players dressing in Harry Potter inspired costumes and physically performing with one another to fulfill their role playing desires. Players might recreate scenes from the books or simply draw inspiration from the novels to create their own narratives (5).

If you're intrigued by the concept of tabletop role play. 

check out this thorough video review of a Harry Potter 

tabletop role play game called "Hogwarts."

J.K. Rowling's Online World

    Previously Pottermore.com, J.K. Rowling's website can be found at wizardingworld.com. This site allows Harry Potter fans to take knowledge and personality based quizzes. One popular option is the quiz that allows users to determine which Hogwarts house they would be sorted into based on their responses to a series of  . The website also features several other options, including the ability to discover and join fan clubs, to view Harry Potter related news, etc. 

Harry Potter Tourism 

    In the United States, the most well-known cites for Harry Potter tourism are the two Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks located in Orlando, Florida, and Los Angeles, California. In reference to the Orlando park, opened in 2010, Brenner calls it "the ultimate and most authentic Harry Potter experience (5). As displayed on the official website for the Orlando location, the park features Harry Potter themed ride and attractions, shows, entertainment, dining, and shopping. Opened in 2016, the Los Angeles location offers attractions, entertainment, dining, and shopping. 

    Harry Potter fans may also be interested in visiting London, England, if in search of Harry Potter tourism. Most of the action in Harry Potter books takes place in or nearby London, and many scenes in the Harry Potter movies were filmed in or nearby London. One of the arguably most notable places Harry Potter fans might visit is King's Cross Station, the real-life train station J.K. Rowling employed as a significant setting for some of the action within the series. In the books, Hogwarts students board a train on "platform 9 3/4," which of course does not actually exist in real life. However, a sign has been placed at King's Cross Station that reads "platform 9 3/4," and has seen been a popular spot for Harry Potter fans to visit and take pictures in front of, sometimes in costume. Click here to learn more about hot spots for Harry Potter tourism.

The image on the left is "platform 9 3/4"

 located at King's Cross Station in London, England (6), and the image on the right shows a girl posing in front of this iconic landmark sporting a Harry Potter inspired wand and scarf (7).

                                                                                                                     

Fanfiction & Fan art 

    Another popular activity Harry Potter fans engage in is writing and/or reading fanfiction, or fanfic for short. There are numerous platforms used by Harry Potter fans to write, share, and read fanfiction based on the series. The two most well-known sites include wattpad.com and fanfiction.net. Fans who are more artistically inclined might also choose to create fan art depicting scenes directly from the series or to create their own scenes somehow inspired by the series. 

Real-Life Quidditch 

    Quidditch, a magical game invented by J.K. Rowling within the Harry Potter series, has especially fascinated readers, evidenced by the creation of real-life quidditch. While non-magical human beings of course can't fly around on broomsticks, Harry Potter fans were able to create a game as similar to the the way it is portrayed in the series. Real-life quidditch is most often competitively played at universities and colleges, which reinforces the fact that the Harry Potter fandom consists of a wide variety of ages. Click here to view the top 10 quidditch college and university teams.

This video provides an insider look at 

UCLA's competitive quidditch team.

Scholarly Interest in the Harry Potter Fandom

    Likely due to the immense popularity of the Harry Potter series, there are numerous published academic studies of the fandom. The scholarly interest in the Harry Potter fandom ranges from how the series has impacted society and why to analyses of specific fandom-related activities and everything in between. One intriguing academic piece that thoroughly explores this fandom is Lisa S. Brenner's book titled Playing Harry Potter: Essays and Interviews on Fandom and Performance. This book identifies and closely examines a range of activities and actions that members of the fandom participate in and attempts to explain what purpose these activities serve in the lives of these fans. 

Works Cited 

1) “What Are Some Good Harry Potter Art Pieces? - Quora.” Www.quora.com, www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-Harry-Potter-art-pieces. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

2) "fandom." Collins English Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014. HarperCollins Publishers 24 Feb. 2021 https://www.thefreedictionary.com/fandom 

 

3) “Fandom | Definition of Fandom by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com Also Meaning of Fandom.” Lexico Dictionaries | English, www.lexico.com/definition/fandom.

‌4) Wikipedia Contributors. “Harry Potter.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Jan. 2019, 
            en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter.

‌5) Brenner, Lisa. Playing Harry Potter : Essays and Interviews on Fandom and                    

             Performance.  Edited by Lisa Brenner, McFarland & Company, Incorporated                         Publishers, 2015, pp. 1– 249, proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?                                    

            url=search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

            direct=true&db=cat05986a&AN=buc.9910948054103556&site=eds-                

             live&scope=site.  Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

6) Drummond, Sharron. "Platform 9 3/4." Flickr, 3 July 2014,                                        

          www.flickr.com/photos/dolmansaxlil/14568214754. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021

7) Ashley. "London || Platform 9 3/4." Sed Bona, 21 Mar. 2017,                       

          www.sedbona.com/2017/03/london-platform-9-34/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.