We Band of Potterheads.

I walked up to the checkout of a shop today and noticed that there were four rows of T shirts hanging on a rail behind the till operator. The first was printed with a badge and the name Ravenclaw. The second was blank. The third had a different badge above the name Slytherin, and the fourth said Gryffindor.

I pointed to the blank T shirt and said ‘I assume that one has Hufflepuff printed on the other side.’ The young woman turned around and hurriedly re-arranged the errant T shirt which did, indeed, proclaim Hufflepuff. And then she beamed and said ‘I love Harry Potter.’ She rummaged in her bag and pulled out her phone, proudly enclosed in a Harry Potter case.

So then a convivial conversation ensued on the subject of the boy wizard and the effect he and his affairs have had on a very great many people. I imagine the person waiting in the queue behind me must have been quite irritated by the delay, she being an elderly lady who probably still dreams of Errol Flynn and his trusty rapier. Nowadays it could be argued that the wand is mightier than the sword.

And as I walked out of the shop it occurred to me that dog walking used to be considered the classic way to loosen the tongues of complete strangers. Now it seems all you have to do is mention the Chosen One and you have an instant friend. It’s happened to me several times over the past couple of months, and I can’t help wondering whether the habit might be cultivated to useful effect.