Harry Potter lands in Barcelona

As always, the first thing is to choose between Gryffindor (the good guys), Slytherin (the bad guys), Ravenclaw (the smart ones), and Hufflepuff (nobody really knows who they are). And, as a good wizard, you have to get a wand, as if you were shopping at Ollivanders in Diagon Alley, which you'll have to accompany with a good patronus to be well protected. Once everyone's credentials are defined, you can now enter Harry Potter The Exhibition, the exhibition about the magical universe of Hogwarts that just opened its doors this Friday in Barcelona's Port Vell.

With tickets starting from 14 euros (children up to 12 years old) and 19 euros (general public), without family discounts, the exhibition for Harry Potter fans can be seen in the city until April 2024. The Catalan capital is the first Spanish city where the exhibition stops and the third European after Vienna and Paris. It has also been seen in the United States, in Philadelphia, Atlanta, and New York. Since its inauguration in early 2022, it has accumulated a total of 1.7 million visitors.

With a golden snitch on their wrist, in bracelet format, attendees will delve into the magical world imagined by J.K. Rowling 26 years ago. Upon entering, the first editions in Spanish and English of The Philosopher's Stone appear, bringing back to the present that yellow Salamandra cover that was so thumbed through. They are the only testimony of the books that introduced many to the wizarding saga starring The Boy Who Lived, captivating very young readers long before the films, the main protagonists of the exhibition that has just been installed in Barcelona's Port Vell.

Technology may be the most realistic option to glimpse the magic of Hogwarts. By bringing that golden snitch trapped in a bracelet closer to a screen, attendees suddenly appear on the Marauder's Map that so often helped Harry and his friends. If you pronounce, without shame and very loudly, Alohomora, Hogwarts appears. A few steps and you are in the Portrait Gallery, crowned by the Gryffindor hostess. And, if those paintings whose members move and even speak are there, the rooms of the four houses ---Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff--- are not far away.

A virtual sorting hat confirms the colors of each one. As it has adapted to the times, it also takes a photograph. However, the exhibition on the Harry Potter universe allows for an unthinkable license in the magic school: wandering through the rooms of enemy houses without the fear of losing points for being gossips. A golden opportunity that allows remembering Cedric Digory, the only moderately known Hufflepuff.

Having left the trunks in the rooms, it's time to go to the dining hall to gather strength before class. Barcelona must have something that the candles also remain suspended in the air as in Hogwarts, although the ceiling is more modest than what Harry Potter fans remember from the movies. With a full belly, there's no excuse not to show up for Potions class, where you'll have to follow a recipe if you want to get some points for the house you represent. To graduate, you also have to attend Divination, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology (yes, there are mandrakes), until you venture into the Forbidden Forest. With so much homework, anyone would want Hermione Granger's time-turner to get everything done.

Luckily, it's not all classes and obligations. There are also quidditch matches. Since we already have the golden snitch, we have to score points by putting the quaffle balls through the hoops. You don't need to get on a Nimbus 2000; with a little aim, you'll add some points for the house. Cardio is combined with the scare of running into a huge dragon, the one from whom you had to steal a golden egg in the Triwizard Tournament. Maybe Harry's invisibility cloak should be offered here.

Having won the quidditch match and defeated the dragon, the only thing left is to face the one who cannot be named. Luckily, at least in fiction, good, and that can only be Gryffindor, ends up winning. Harry Potter The Exhibition exhaustively recreates the world that so many felt as their own by reading J.K. Rowling and watching the film adaptations, showing objects that were used during filming ---like the portkey boot--- and the costumes worn by the actors. Oh, and most importantly, to visit the exhibition, you don't have to wait for any owl to bring a letter.