Harry Potter fanatics take over British Embassy in Buenos Aires
Porteños donned their cloaks and drew their wands as they entered into the enchanted garden soft he British Embassy on Thursday evening. A cast of costumed guests put on a spectacle to celebrate the bespectacled Harry Potter, the young wizard at the heart of UK author JK Rowling’s famous book series.
Over 1,500 people showed up for the Embassy’s fourth annual ‘Harry Potter Book Night,’ where fans could test their spell-casting skills in virtual reality headsets, play trivia games, and pick up their broomsticks for a game of the fictional sport Quidditch. Each guest could also be sorted into their own “Hogwarts house,” one of four factions that make up the school for magic where Harry Potter and friends raised mischief.
Cities around the world host similar book nights of their own to celebrate the series, British Ambassador to Argentina Mark Kent explained. “It’s got the objective to encourage more children to read and also for us it’s a good opportunity for people to get to know British culture and British literature,” he told the Times. Charms and potions weren’t just for kids at the Embassy event, however. Fans of all ages came out to celebrate the seven-book series that began in 1997. Argentines once again proved their enthusiasm for the British series, which has been translated into Spanish and adapted into a blockbuster film series by Warner Brothers. “I think it’s probably 99 percent Argentine, and that’s great. It does what it’s meant to do, to create interest here in Argentina, and you’ve got a very very active Harry Potter fan club here,” Kent said. “To see the residents in the lovely gardens, it all seems quite magical.” Kent and other Embassy officials interacted with guests until the curtains closed. While the ambassador says he loves making friends with fans each year, he revealed he breathes a sigh of relief when the last spells have been cast. His highlight is “when I can take my jacket off, when it’s all over.”