For the first time in years the Hogwarts Express has not departed King’s Cross at 11am on September 1.

Disappointed Harry Potter fans booed after the usual annual announcement at the station failed to materialise yesterday.

They had been warned in advance not to travel to King’s Cross, but hundreds still descended on the central London station.

The media rights owner of the Harry Potter franchise, Warner Bros Discovery, had advised fans in July about the event.

It said: “Come September 1, fans are strongly discouraged from travelling to Kings Cross as there will be no event, departure board or countdown at the station.”

Instead, they urged Potterheads to watch a Back to Hogwarts programme on YouTube hosted by I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! winner Sam Thompson instead.

In previous years, a message on the public address system at the station stating that the fictional Hogwarts Express would depart from platform nine and three-quarters had been played.

But this year, videos posted on X suggest that the expectant crowd counted down to 11am, but no announcement was made.

Some fans could be heard chuckling, while others started to boo when nothing happened.