Located: King’s Cross StationFor fans of: Harry Potter, fantasy, magic, all that is good in the worldThe “Platform 9¾” sign (which marks the secret passageway to the Hogwarts Express, but you knew that) has moved around a bit since the first film was released, but these days you can find it in the western departures concourse at King’s Cross Station. Half of a luggage trolley, complete with owl cage, sticks out of the wall underneath it, and a surprisingly short line of Harry Potter fans weave around, waiting for their photo op. At first it seems like maybe it will be embarrassing, since you are in the middle of the concourse and (maybe, in some cases) you are noticeably older than both the friendly employees and the fellow fans, but then you get closer, and you choose a scarf, and the employee validates your choice (“Of course you’re a Hufflepuff, look at you!”), and then OMG YOU’RE GOING TO HOGWARTS IT’S HAPPENING!!But instead you just give the scarf back to the employee (whose hand, out of frame, waves the scarf behind you) and swing around the corner to the cozy shop, which holds a wonderland of Harry Potter merchandise despite its tiny size. A display of wands lines the back wall, basically straight out of Ollivanders. You can stock up on house cardigans and scarves, Bertie Bott’s every flavour beans, Marauder’s Maps, feather quill pens, and — if you want to drop some more serious money — original, signed posters.
