Behind the magic -part1

 OK.. so I didn't take the Hogwarts Express per say.. rather a train to Watford Junction from the Euston station :P

However that train delivered me here:

To Leavesden Studios for behind the scenes fun.

 Even the gift shop offered fun for the eyes.

I brought home one chocolate frog (with a Helga Hufflepuff card) and Hermione's wand for Niina.

Yes, she was thrilled.

I enjoyed noticing details that you miss in the film, like Fred and George's wands.

That lower one looks very much like a broomstick, don't you think?

  

I can recommend this tour to Harry Potter fans who are interested in set design.

As that was my dream once upon a time (I applied three times, but they took only 10 people in annually.. pretty hopeless), I loved seeing that side. The side of movie-making you rarely get to see.

 Take Harry's closet under the stairs for example: the set designer brought most of the stuff from her own basement  :)

 

First you get to see a little film and when the screen goes up, there's the door to the Great Hall.

[insert ooooohhh's and aaaaahhhh's]

 No magic ceiling, but plenty to feast your eyes upon.

 

The ghosts' outfits were my favorites... loved the rattiness.

There's Neville's spiffy cardigan ;)

 And Harry's robes from the very first film.

And I hadn't quite prepared myself to just how big Hagrid was...

Professor Snape was the only character whose outfit never changed in any of the films.

I always thought his robes to be the best.

So sleek and flowing. And stylin'.

 And I don't think I had ever appreciated that owl podium.

 Wise wirds by the production designer Stuart Craig.

Oooohhh.. the gates :D

Sirius had tattoos???

How did I miss that?

This was fun. The outfit Daniel Radcliffe wears in the last film with production notes.

It keeps getting dirtier..

 I took a ridiculous amount of photos, what you will see is just a small portion.

That being said I still have two posts from here to come :P

I'm indulging my HP fan friends..

..yup.