On Saturday, September 28, guests gathered outside of Hogwarts Castle to raise their wands and honor the passing of Dame Maggie Smith.
Wands Up for Dame Maggie Smith
In a TikTok video shared by sarah.webb22, guests were seen gathered outside of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure with wands held high in the air, as the life of Dame Maggie Smith was honored. Smith, who was 89, played Professor McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” films.
In the video, Hogwarts is lit up and spotlights shine high into the night sky. Music from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -Part 2” rings out, as Smith’s Professor McGonagall shouts her famous line, “Man the boundaries. Protect us. Do your duty to our school!”
The full video, which has over 3.6 million views, can be found below.
These types of gatherings have become a tradition for “Harry Potter” fans when actors from the series pass away. Most recently, Michael Gambon, who played Albus Dumbledore in the majority of the “Harry Potter” films, was honored. Similar gatherings were held to honor Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) in 2022 and Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) in 2016.
The custom of raising wands originated in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” after the passing of Albus Dumbledore.
Smith earned two Oscars during her acting career. Her first came for her role in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1970) and her second came as Best Supporting Actress in “California Suite” (1979). She was also nominated for Best Actress for “Travels With My Aunt” (1972), and for Best Supporting Actress in “Othello” (1965), “A Room With a View” (1985), and “Gosford Park” (2001).
Smith also earned three Best Supporting Actress Emmys for her role as Violet Crawley in “Downton Abbey.”
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