Harry Potter fans raise wands outside Hogwarts in tribute to Dame Maggie Smith

Mourners gathered at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios in Orlando.

Harry Potter fans raised their wands outside the Hogwarts Castle replica in Florida in a tribute to Dame Maggie Smith (Geraint Walker/PA)

Harry Potter fans raised their wands outside the Hogwarts Castle replica in Florida in a tribute to Dame Maggie Smith, who died in hospital at age 89.

Mourners gathered at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios in Orlando to honour the memory of the late actress, who played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the film series.

The heartfelt tribute is part of a tradition carried out by Harry Potter fans when an actor of the movie franchise dies.

It echoes the scene in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when students and staff of Hogwarts raise their wands following the death of Albus Dumbledore.

A TikTok video filmed by Geraint Walker, 32, shows dozens of attendees lifting their wands skyward outside the castle to a smattering of cheering followed by silence.

The clinical informaticist based in Port Talbot, Wales, captioned the footage: “Wands up for Dame Maggie Smith/Professor McGonagall at @UniversalDestinations Florida #wandsupformcgonagall #maggiesmith.”

Mr Walker told the PA news agency: “The atmosphere was quite sombre, quite muted, but also respectful at the same time.

“It’s the first time I’ve been there when the wands went up, so I didn’t actually know what was going to happen, but it all just created that feeling of respect to Dame Maggie Smith.

“We as a family are quite big Harry Potter fans and Professor McGonagall as a character means a lot to people, sort of a lovely figure that everyone loves and knows.”

He said that “you can see the outpouring of respect not just for Harry Potter but for all the other films” and TV shows Dame Maggie has starred in, including David Copperfield, Sister Act and Downton Abbey.

“I think Dame Maggie Smith is a very respected and loved person as an actress and is probably one of the best of this current generation of actresses in the UK, and probably into the future as well,” Mr Walker added.

Harry Potter stars including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint paid tribute to Dame Maggie following her death.

Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, has remembered Dame Maggie as a “fierce intellect” with a “gloriously sharp tongue” who put him at ease when he first met her as a child actor.

Grint, who played Ron Weasley, said he feels “incredibly lucky” to have worked with her while Watson, who starred as Hermione Granger in the fantasy film series, said the actress was “real, honest, funny and self-honouring”.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling wrote on X: “Somehow I thought she’d live forever. RIP Dame Maggie Smith.”