Harry Potter fans fly in from Europe to be among the first inside new Oxford Street store

Harry Potter fans finally got to see inside the new shop on Oxford Street

A Harry Potter fan described his excitement at being one of the first to visit the new Harry Potter shop that opened today on Oxford Street.

Markus flew in from Munich earlier today and landed at 8am. After quickly dropping his bags, he made his way to Oxford Street to join the queue that had formed outside the new store. Markus was part of a queue that had started to form around the building ahead of the 10am opening time.

He said: “I’ve never been to a Harry Potter store like this before; it’s my first time. I like the franchise and I hope that there will be good things inside. I like the darker stuff, such as Bellatrix Lestrange. When I landed, it was hard to get out of London Heathrow. I usually come to London every three to four years.”

Markus was one of hundreds of fans eagerly awaiting entry to the new store as trans rights protestors chanted outside with megaphones, voicing their opposition to JK Rowling’s opinions and the store’s opening.

Protestors chanted through a megaphone “trans rights are human rights” and were actively telling people not to support JK Rowling while shouting “shame on you for what you do.”

Inside the store, Elizabeta and Leticia had flown in from Milan to experience the new location and buy as much as they could. They flew in last night and arrived at the store at 5am this morning, where they planned to queue until it opened.

Thankfully, they were told that an online virtual queue system would be implemented, which meant their place in the queue was safe. This gave them the chance to head back to their nearby hotel and freshen up before returning at 9am.

The store comes kitted out in everything from makeshift wands to an imitation Diagon Alley, a full-size dragon and an imitation Knight Bus that fans took pictures next to.

The Oxford Street opening adds to the Harry Potter world’s collection of dedicated shops in King’s Cross, New York, Chicago, Akasaka, and Harajuku in Tokyo.

The new store is located at The Ribbon, 134-140 Oxford Street, London.

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