The little boy waving a wand is in his element.
Kitted out in owlish specs and Gryffindor robe, and striking impressive wizardly poses, he is clearly thrilled to be walking in the footsteps of Harry Potter.
But then again, so am I. Striding into the Great Hall at Hogwarts, I feel primed for a clandestine school escapade beneath the noses of Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape.
In actuality, I'm at Leavesden to celebrate the arrival of all eight Harry Potter films on Sky Movies and the Great Hall is one of the iconic locations that form The Making of Harry Potter attraction at the Hertfordshire studios where the films were shot.
Dumbledore, McGonagall et al are only mannequins, although seeing them from the length of the hall might persuade you otherwise. Yet it feels real enough to me, as real as the York stone floor beneath my feet, before I slide into a sofa to watch one of Harry's adventures on an iPad.
The solidity of the sets and props is awe-inspiring. And the level of detail apparent everywhere, from the scored graffiti on the dining tables to the torch-bearing house-animals on the wall, is testament to the filmmakers’ care and to the fecundity of JK Rowling’s imagination. Magical!
All eight Harry Potter movies are available this winter on Sky Movies, On Demand and via Sky Go.
Photo shows Oliver Phelps and Jessie Cave (George Weasley and Lavender Brown, in the films), joined by young fans in the Great Hall set at Leavesden.
