A Hufflepuff Abroad: How I Studied Harry Potter in London

February 10, 2025

A class including the Harry Potter studio tour, Harry Potter walking tour, King’s Cross, Oxford, wizard afternoon tea… total codswallop, right?

But yes, seriously.

I got to go to London for a class about Harry Potter AND get credit for it… AND get to be the Hufflepuff prefect… AND meet lifelong friends through it. What else could I ask for?

When I heard that Chapman had a travel course that went to London for none other than a class about Harry Potter, I couldn’t believe it. Not only have I always wanted to visit London, but Harry Potter is my favorite book and movie series of all time, so lucky me, I had found the perfect class.

Not only did we get to see everything HP-related, but I was thrilled to be in a space where I could talk to my peers about more of the complex aspects of the series in an academic setting: religion, race, gender, and the controversies surrounding its author and such topics. The students were separated into the four Hogwarts houses, and we actually competed against each other for points throughout the class, whether it was for assignment creativity, showing up on time, or just for our knowledge of HP.

While on the trip, we had various papers assigned to reflect on the tourism we had experienced and some controversial topics regarding Harry Potter, such as Black Hermione in The Cursed Child, gender representation in the books, and J.K. Rowling’s views. We attended The Cursed Child as a class, went on a Harry Potter walking tour around London, made a day trip to Oxford to visit the University of Oxford and Christ Church, and visited many other sites related to the series.

In our free time, we got to be tourists, explore the city, and try new foods! One of my favorite days of the trip was spontaneously walking around Parliament Square and seeing Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace all within a couple of hours and taking so… so many pictures. I also learned a vast amount about British history and culture as we visited places like The British Museum, Tower of London, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Staying in Covent Garden allowed most of our destinations to be very accessible, and some of my favorite areas we visited were Marylebone, Soho, and Camden.

My highlight of the class was visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Watford, where we got to see the original props, costumes, and sets from the film series. It was SO. COOL.

We went on the tour on the first day of our class, and it was a dream come true for any Harry Potter fan. We got to see sets like Privet Drive, The Great Hall, Diagon Alley, Gringotts, (and of course) drink butterbeer.

When I wasn’t nerding out over Harry Potter, I was exploring more of the city and learning how to adapt to being abroad. For anyone who will soon be experiencing being abroad for the first time, like myself, my advice would be to try to adjust to the sleep schedule and time zone as quickly as possible (but yes, the first couple of days can be rough!) And make sure you are staying hydrated, eating well, and wearing comfortable (and warm) clothing and shoes.

One of my favorite things that I did was posting daily on a separate Instagram account for my family and friends to keep updated with my travels. I also journaled every night about what we did/saw during the day and anything else I wanted to remember! However, I wish I had written down more of the history and facts we learned on tours because the tour guides truly share so much interesting information.

With that being said, going abroad can be challenging and overwhelming. But on the other hand, it can give you some of the best memories, introduce you to new people, make you more independent, and teach you so much that a classroom simply cannot.

So… I can confidently say that this experience entailed some of the most memorable moments and beneficial life lessons thus far. I plan to hopefully return to London next spring for an entire semester abroad, and I am so grateful that I could experience the city for the first time in this way beforehand. Plus… I finally got to go to Hogwarts.

This class has, by far, been my favorite part of my college experience and something that I will remember for the rest of my life. Analyzing my favorite series from a critical perspective while acknowledging its controversies opened my eyes to some of its broader connections to our society.

I could not recommend this class more if you love HP!