Harry Potter Gear and Magical Meets!

[Shiloh Adlar]

I know there is already a topic on Harry Potter merch, but this is more on gear and carrying gear with you or wearing it out places like when you go to school or work. Some people are absolutely into the cosplay or Harry Potter everywhere thing, and I'm starting to get that way myself after experiencing LeakyCon a few weekends ago.

I have a Hogwarts backpack that I take to university with me, and I also started carrying around a little niffler everywhere I go. I took a picture for Tarma yesterday, and she may have fallen in love. He's also made appearances on my bookstagram and soon on my book blog once I start writing up reviews again.

Yesterday, I had my backpack and I decided to actually stop by the coffeehouse on campus. I didn't go inside, but the smell was welcoming of all things. I sat on these benches and another person came and sat by me. She casually mentioned that she loved my backpack. Then we started talking about the rainy day, and I told her that I love to read and that I was obviously a Ravenclaw. Come to find out, she's a Hufflepuff! We started talking more and more about Harry Potter including throwing a Harry Potter dinner party similar to a Murder Mystery dinner party. Maybe it'll be a Fantastic Beasts dinner party where we have to figure out which magical creature did what.

Anyway, having my Harry Potter gear with me constantly has been a great way of meeting new people and making new friends on campus and even at the hospital where I volunteer!

Have any of you carried around or wore your gear and had conversations spark because of it? Share your stories below!

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

This isn't quite a thing of Harry Potter gear but it was definitely a HP magical meet.

A friend of mine was having a very dangerous surgery and I was visiting him before the surgery happened. I happened to have with me the 'just published' Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) which I was reading while keeping company with my friend.

The surgeon came into the room, to visit with my friend, and saw the book. His face lit up and we talked about the Harry Potter books and ... I knew, right then and there, that the surgery would go just fine.

And it did.

[Arianna Stonewater]

Yes, i get this a lot; especially since a lot of my merch is Slytherin! People notice it and they're like, "does that mean you're evil" or i'll get someone who's like "finally someone else understands!!" With the HP running/walking group I'm part of, my Slytherin house does "On Wednesdays We Wear Green" and since most of my green shirts are Slytherin shirts I'm out at least once a week promoting the most noble House of Slytherin!

[Iverian Gnash]

I always wear my Slytherin shirt and my Hogwarts shirt. I get a lot of comments on it! I’ve also met a lot of fellow Slytherins! Once, I met a girl who was all decked out in Hufflepuff gear while on Campus one day. I acknowledged it and we ended up having a conversation for over an hour. A boy sitting nearby even joined in!

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

I have sooooo much Harry Potter merch, it is not even funny. >____>

Despite it all, I have little HP merch that I have with me constantly. I have Harry Potter themed clothes, but most of them are comfy, for-home clothing and I rarely go out with them in public, since I dress nicer when I leave the safety of my house. I usually don house-themed socks that I got a week or so ago, but no one is looking at my socks.

Only exception to this rule is my Harry Potter Hogwarts acceptance letter wallet. It is my "main" wallet and it is constantly on display whenever I pay. I got a lot of compliments and questions about it (and three Harry Potter pins on it) from all walks of people. Good way to "start" a conversation and find Harry Potter fans everywhere.

[Isa Vestal]

I don’t have that much merch and what I do is mostly unwearable (things like figurines, puzzles, that kinda stuff). I do have a Gryffindor scarf that I absolutely adore. I got it from Universal studios and it has the same pattern/color as the scarves in the films. I love it because it’s discreet and goes with a lot of my other clothes. It’s definitely sparked some conversation with schoolmates. As scarves are some of the most popular Harry Potter merch, I’ve seen a few other people at my school wearing the exact same ones and done that double-take you do when you see other people wearing the same thing you are. Though I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to many of these people, we always smile or nod at each other when we pass by in the halls or say “nice scarf” when we’re matching.

I’ve also seen random people in the streets wearing what appears to be Hogwarts-themed scarves but, because of their simplistic style, I can never tell whether they’re Hogwarts scarves or not! It’s so frustrating!