Platform 9¾, King's Cross

Platform 9¾ is a Harry Potter photo spot inside King's Cross station, in the Kings Cross area of London, where a luggage trolley appears to disappear into a brick wall. It references the fictional platform from the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling, from which the Hogwarts Express leaves for the wizarding school. The real station platforms are numbered up to 11, and the photo location was moved to the station's Western Concourse during redevelopment in 2012. A staff member in a Gryffindor scarf helps visitors pose and holds the scarf to create the effect of flying, while a professional photographer takes pictures, available for purchase. Visitors can also take their own photographs free of charge, and queues for the photo can take 30 minutes to an hour at busy times, though they move quickly. The adjacent Harry Potter Shop sells wands, scarves, robes and souvenirs, and is open daily. A visit takes about 30 minutes to an hour including the shop. The photo spot is free, though the official photo prints carry a charge. Weekday mornings before 10:00 are the quietest, while weekends, school holidays and summer afternoons attract long queues. The best photographs show the trolley stuck in the wall, with the pose of running toward it. The station is a major rail hub, and King's Cross St Pancras Underground station connects six lines, with the British Library and St Pancras International nearby. Coal Drops Yard and Granary Square, a short walk north, offer cafes and shops. Station announcements and crowds can be noisy, and visitors should watch their belongings.