"Catch it JK Rowling" — Netizens react to Harry Potter fans being disappointed after annual Hogwarts announcement did not happen

Disappointed Harry Potter fans booed in unison as the yearly announcement of Hogwarts Express did not happen on September 1.

Draped in black robes and round glasses, hundreds of Potterheads gathered at the London Station to wave their wands at the announcement of Hogwarts Express departing from Platform 9 & 3/4 at 11 am. However, they had to leave the station dispirited.

Every year on September 1, Harry Potter fans gather at London's King's Cross station to act out the scene of students leaving for Hogwarts for the start of a new term. The authorities also play along with their tongue-in-cheek announcement of the departure of Hogwarts Express for Hogsmeade station.

However, Warner Bros. discontinued the ritual this year, discouraging fans from turning up at King's Cross station on September 1 in a note on the Wizarding World website. Instead, they organized a special YouTube event to celebrate the start of the new term. The full statement read:

“Come 1st September, fans are strongly discouraged from attending King’s Cross Station this year, as there will be no event, departure board or countdown held at the station."

Instead, Warner Bros. organized a special YouTube event featuring Sam Thompson to celebrate the start of the new term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Instead, we’ve recruited our resident Hufflepuff (and recently appointed King of the Jungle! ) Sam Thompson to be with you all in spirit once again in a specially recorded online programme made in celebration of Back to Hogwarts. Head to the official Harry Potter YouTube channel to watch along with us at 11am to see him in action.”

Netizens on X (formerly Twitter) have been divided about their opinion on this incident. While some have mourned the discontinuation of this tradition, others have implored fans to move on. Some popular reactions are as follows:

"catch it jk rowling," commented one fan on X.

"It's a letdown when a cherished tradition is missed, but the fact is people did receive a week's notice beforehand," one prson wrote.

"Harry the last movie was released in 2011, get a fricking life for goodness sakes," another person said.

Many people opined that Warner Bros. was trying to 'cancel' JK Rowling by doing their best to curb the popularity of Harry Potter.

"They are really trying to cancel JK Rowling," one netizen said.

"Seems like the magic took a day off. Big letdown for Harry Potter fans," another person wrote.

"People were warned….a week in advance," one person added.

One fan quipped that Warner Bros. discontinued the cherished Harry Potter tradition so that Lord of the Rings fans allegedly don't get offended.

"Probably didn’t want to offend Lord Of The Rings fans," one person said.

"It’s disappointing when a cherished tradition doesn’t happen," another fan commented.

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Harry Potter star Bonnie Wright wants HBO to give more screentime to her character

Dragon Con 2024 - Source: Getty ( Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

On April 2023, it was announced that Harry Potter would be getting a faithful adaptation into a series, replete with intricate details missing in the films. In that regard, actress Bonnie Wright has wanted to see “more of the development of the relationship between Ginny and Harry.”

Bonnie Wright played Ron Weasley's sister and Harry Potter's love interest Ginny Weasley in the universe. Although she has a beautifully architected character arc in the books, the films fail to show most of it.

Wright was present at the Back to Hogwarts event at New York’s Grand Central Terminal on September 1, where she opened up about her demands from the upcoming show to Variety.

“So many things. More of the development of the relationship between Ginny and Harry. There’s nuanced moments where they begin to fall in love. I think more of that arc of her character becoming this real loyal sidekick to Harry and how she really understands and knows his story and who he is and is the best partner for him," said Bonnie.

The 33-year-old also included some heartwarming moments between Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood that failed to make the cut. According to Wright, several characters needed more screen time and she hoped that the upcoming series would do justice to them. The series is expected to premiere in 2026.